Wisdom teeth are usually extracted before or after an eruption. For some, wisdom teeth are painful and will need to be removed to ease the pain. For others, they may not experience any pain or discomfort just yet, but the trajectory of the wisdom teeth may look like it will cause issues down the line if not removed.
Once you’ve had them removed, it takes at least two weeks after the extraction of a wisdom tooth to completely heal. So, what should you eat during this time? Do you need to follow a strict diet after wisdom tooth removal?
Making healthy changes to your diet after wisdom teeth removal can support fast recovery and prevent any damage to the operated area from any sharp or hard items. Some healthy, soft foods recommended after the procedure include ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal, soup, milkshakes, etc.
The third molar, also called wisdom teeth, is the last teeth of both jaws. Wisdom teeth are last to erupt into the oral cavity. They will usually come in between the ages of 17 and 30. They mostly come out as impacted or otherwise unfit to stay in the jaw.
Moving further in this article, you will know vital information post-removal of your wisdom teeth such as what to eat and things to take care post-surgery.
What to do immediately after extraction of wisdom teeth?
After surgery, the dentist will put gauze on the area where the wisdom tooth was present to stop the bleeding stop and form a clot. This colt will form the healing tissue over the hole created by extraction of the wisdom tooth.
Soon after the surgery, if your bleeding stops, the doctor can allow you to go home. You will need to change the gauze after some time but make sure not to disturb the clot.
The dentist will tell you a few crucial things to take care post-surgery and they are:
- Keep your head elevated, don’t let your head drop below your heart for the first three days.
- Rub icepacks on the cheeks over the area where surgery was performed. This will help to reduce the swelling.
- Avoid sucking movement, and try not to you a straw for at least few days.
- A warm saltwater solution can be gently rinsed to clean the area, and also to relieve the pain. Don’t rinse too vigorously that may dislodge the clot.
What to eat after wisdom teeth removal?
Some soft foods are recommended by doctors after oral surgery as they enhance the tissue repair process by providing necessary vitamins and minerals and keep your oral cavity clean.
Try to eat soft food and liquids to avoid pressure on your healing tissue. Consuming beneficial nutritious soft foods after getting your wisdom tooth removed will make your recovery very easy and smooth.
1. Applesauce
The smooth, pureed texture of applesauce makes it a great soft food after having your wisdom teeth removed. Applesauce is full of vitamin C and dietary fibre.
2. Ice cream
Ice cream will keep your mouth and the inflamed tissue cool and reduce swelling around the surgical site. Make sure to eat ice cream without any chewy stuff such as nuts and dry fruits. Also, avoid cones and any munches which come with this amazing soft food. Stick to plain ice cream like vanilla or banana ice cream.
3. Drink soup or bone broth
Make sure that your soup is not very hot. Soup can provide plenty of nutrients and maintains a healthy diet after surgery. You can go for warm bone broth or blended soups since they contain loads of protein.
4. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes is another great soft food that contains lots of fibers and enough sugar for your body. They are also easy to munch on. You can mash potatoes with butter, cream, etc. to add flavor to it. Make sure not to leave big lumps as they could be harder to chew.
5. Yogurt
It gives you high proteins and vitamins and is easy to chew. This soft food cools your mouth and inflamed tissues. Avoid yogurt with any chewing ingredients.
6. Smoothies or Milkshakes
Smoothies or milkshakes have a plenty of proteins and nutrients. Also, they provide a delicious and easy way to eat a snack for post-operative dental patients.
7. Instant Oatmeal
It provides lots of sugar and is available in many flavors. I would suggest you have oatmeal only after 2-3 days of removed wisdom tooth. Limit oatmeal to only once a day as overeating oats may cause irritation to stitched tissue.
8. Drink water
Stay hydrated throughout the day. Drinking water helps in the healing process and keeps the mouth fresh and cool.
9. Broccoli and other boiled veggies
Boiled broccoli or carrots can be easy to chew. They contain plenty of nutrients, sometimes even healthy fats, to promote wound healing and will reduce the recovery time. Consider adding cottage cheese as its texture is easy to chew and it is a reliant source of protein.
What to avoid after wisdom tooth removal?
There are certain things you should avoid for fast healing and to preserve the blood clot that has formed in your empty tooth socket. Dentists suggest avoiding certain solid foods after surgery of wisdom tooth.
Avoid using a straw for few days as the sucking motion can displace the blood clot formed on the extraction site and lead to dry socket formation.
Avoid eating foods that are hard, spicy, crunchy, or crumbly like chips, pretzels or popcorn for at least a week. Spicy food irritates the healing tissue.
Don’t eat acidic foods that can irritate healing tissue and cause pain in the healing sites of surgery.
Don’t rinse your mouth after wisdom teeth extraction, at least for a day.
Avoid brushing for a couple of days at least not around the surgical site.
Don’t consume hot foods or drinks while your mouth is still numb.
Avoid food with high sugar content. Sugary foods can get stuck inside the broken gums, encouraging bacteria to grow.
Do not spit out or swallow your saliva as it will disturb the clot and you will bleed.
Keep surgical area clean
It’s very essential to keep the surgical site and healing tissue clean to prevent any growth of bacteria. Ask for a proper cleaning guide from your dentist and act accordingly.
Don’t directly brush or rinse your mouth vigorously, use a very flexible brush with super-thin bristles which gently cleans between your teeth and under the gum line without harming the stitched areas or healing tissue.
Over to you on foods to eat after wisdom teeth removal
If you have gone through wisdom tooth extraction then you should at least wait for a week time before you eat any chewy, crunchy, or semi soft foods. Avoid acidic and spicy foods as they can irritate the tissue and cause pain at the surgical site.
Knowing a nutritious soft food diet after having your wisdom teeth removed can make your healing process faster and smoother. The faster the wound healing process is, the faster you can go back to your normal diet. Food items like ice cream, water, warm bone broth, etc. can provide relief from inflammation and pain post-surgery.
