How long do i eat soft foods after tooth extraction

At Dental Express in San Diego, CA, there are times when we cannot save a tooth and we must extract it. Permanent teeth are meant to last a lifetime; however, there are times when tooth extraction is necessary. Our professional dentists can examine your teeth and gums to determine if you need a tooth extraction. Our goal is to offer you superior dental care that benefits your oral health and your overall health into the future.

Contents hide

1 Reasons why you may need a tooth extraction

2 The tooth extraction process

3 How soon can I eat after tooth extraction?

4 Learn how to heal effectively following a tooth extraction

Reasons why you may need a tooth extraction

There are many reasons why you may need a tooth extraction:

• Crowded teeth: When there’s not enough room in the mouth for teeth to erupt, it can lead to impacted wisdom teeth.

• Severe damage: This damage can be caused by trauma, injury, or tooth decay.

• Infection: If there is tooth decay or damage that extends deep into the pulp chamber – the center of a tooth which contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues – can develop an infection. A root canal is usually the best option, but when an infection is severe, tooth extraction may also be the right treatment option. For those with compromised immune systems, any risk of infection may be reason enough for our oral surgeon to extract a tooth.

• Presence of tooth decay or gum disease: Because these molars are found far back in the mouth, it can be difficult to clean them properly.

The tooth extraction process

Our professional oral surgeons perform tooth extractions at our San Diego, CA office. Before we pull the tooth, local anesthesia is used to numb the area. If the tooth is impacted, we will have to remove the gum and bone tissue that cover the tooth by cutting it away. Next, we gently grasp the tooth and rock it back and forth to release it from the jaw. When this doesn’t work, the tooth may need to be extracted in several pieces. Once we extract the tooth, a blood clot forms inside the socket. We apply a gauze pad to help stop the bleeding. Sometimes, we may need to apply stitches to close the gum edges. We will provide post-op instructions that include what to eat and for how long to maintain that diet after tooth extraction.

How soon can I eat after tooth extraction?

Most of the time individuals asks “when can i eat solid food after tooth extraction?” Immediately following your tooth extraction and while recovering, you will need to start with only liquids or soft foods (for the first 24 to 48 hours). You should not be chewing any food, which can lead to pain. Here are some examples when you ask after a tooth extraction when can i eat, you can eat immediately following tooth extraction include yogurt, applesauce, smoothies, blended soups, pudding, ice cream, mashed potatoes, and Jell-O.

As you continue to recover, you can slowly re-incorporate other foods into your eating routine. On day three, you can try semisoft foods, such as scrambled eggs or oatmeal. If you can eat these foods without pain, you can move on to solid foods, such as fruit, chicken, or vegetables. Most of our patients at Dental Express in San Diego, CA can resume normal eating within a week following their tooth extraction.

Learn how to heal effectively following a tooth extraction

When tooth pain is affecting your daily life, our professional team at Dental Express in San Diego, CA can examine your teeth and gums to determine whether or not you need a tooth extraction. We use the latest dental techniques to remove teeth with the least amount of discomfort as possible for our patients. Our goal is to restore your oral health and to give you professional advice, including when you can eat again after tooth extraction. Improve your oral health by calling today and making an appointment with our professional team to discuss tooth extractions.

Soft foods are in, chewy or hard foods are out while you recover from wisdom teeth removal. Here, our Ottawa dentists give advice on which foods to stock up on and what to avoid.

If your dentist finds your wisdom teeth are impacted or coming in at crooked angles, they’ll often recommend having wisdom teeth removed and eating a healthful diet full of soft foods while you heal.

Though your schedule may vary depending on your dentist’s recommendations and other factors, we’ve put together a general timeline of what to eat at different stages of recovery - and answered the important question of when you’ll be able to get back to your regular diet.

Why maintain good self-care and eat soft, healthy foods after wisdom teeth are removed?

While having your wisdom teeth removed is a common procedure, maintaining a healthy diet full of soft foods, following instructions from your dentist and managing self-care are important to healing. You’ll want to avoid infections or complications, which can result from food or bacteria becoming trapped in the extraction area.

What can I eat after having my wisdom teeth removed?

For 3 to 5 Days

Generally, you’ll want to stick to liquids and soft, mushy foods for 3 to 5 days, including:

• Blended soups (easy to eat, nutrient-rich and hydrating)
• Broths (full of essential vitamins and minerals to aid recovery)
• Yogurt
• Pudding
• Smoothies
• Potatoes (mashed, sweet or regular)
• Apple sauce
• Seedless, pureed fruit
• Pureed or mashed vegetables (carrots, squash)
• Banana ice cream or regular ice cream
• Jell-O

As you begin to heal, gradually incorporate more regular, semi-soft foods such as:

• Scrambled eggs
• Macaroni and cheese
• Instant oatmeal
• Toast

Let any hot foods cool before eating, keep the area clean per your dentist’s recommendations, and don’t forget to take prescriptions as directed.

Which foods should I avoid?

For 1 Week or More

For the first few days, the extraction site will be tender and vulnerable to infection. You’ll want to avoid foods that may irritate the area or lead to complications, such as:

• Acidic, tough or spicy foods (citrus juice, peppers)
• Crumbly, crunchy or tough foods (pizza, jerky, popcorn, hamburgers, etc.)
• Grains (rice, quinoa)
• Alcohol
• Seeds

For 2 to 4 weeks

These snack foods may be delicious. However, you should ban them from your diet until you're fully recovered. These can get stuck in the wound and disrupt healing.

• Chips
• Popcorn
• Nuts

Other Helpful Routines

For 3 to 5 Days

Avoid using a straw and spitting for 3 to 5 days after surgery. These create suction in your mouth, which raises the risk of developing dry socket - a painful condition where the clot that protects the area your tooth is removed from becomes dislodged. This exposes your bones and nerves to air, which hampers healing and causes pain.

Avoid smoking for 5 days, as the nicotine in cigarettes impedes healing and prolongs recovery time. Avoid chewing tobacco for at least a week.

One Week After Surgery

At the 7-day mark following your surgery, start to rinse your extraction sites to rid the area of debris and food (your dentist may provide a syringe for this). Do not rinse before this as you may also remove the healing blood clot.

When can I start eating normal food after wisdom teeth extraction?

Many patients find they can resume normal eating within a week of having their wisdom teeth removed.

Maintaining a diet full of soft, delicious and healthy foods in the days and weeks after wisdom teeth removal is crucial to your recovery. As long as you stick to the right foods - and steer clear of foods that can disrupt your recovery - you’ll feel more comfortable and help reduce your risk of infection.

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