Soft snacks to eat after wisdom teeth removal

Soft snacks to eat after wisdom teeth removal

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.

Are you experiencing jaw pain or swelling, red or swollen gums, or bad breath? You may need your wisdom teeth removed. Contact our Ottawa dentists to book an appointment today.

After the removal of a wisdom tooth, a person may find it beneficial to eat soft foods because they do not require chewing. People should aim to avoid hard foods.

Wisdom teeth are the last molars to emerge. They usually appear when a person reaches their late teenage years or early 20s.

Dentists usually recommend removing the wisdom teeth only if they are causing problems, such as pain, swelling, inflamed gums, or tooth decay.

This article looks at some foods that people should eat and avoid after a wisdom tooth extraction. It also explains the complications of the procedure and provides some information on recovery and self-care.

According to the National Health Service (NHS), people should try to eat soft or liquid foods for a few days after surgery.

Some foods that may be suitable include:

  • pureed seedless fruit
  • soups and broths that are not too hot
  • milkshakes and smoothies
  • oatmeal
  • applesauce
  • pudding
  • avocado
  • jelly
  • mashed banana
  • mashed beans, such as kidney beans, black beans, or butter beans
  • mashed sweet or regular potatoes
  • pureed or mashed vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, or broccoli
  • scrambled eggs
  • soft cheeses
  • yogurt
  • ice cream and frozen yogurt

Mashing vegetables removes the need for chewing them. The texture and substance may be welcome after a diet of liquid foods.

If a blender is accessible, a person can make smoothies and milkshakes that contain a variety of fruits and vegetables at home. These can help provide nutrients and vitamins, which are especially important in the early stages of recovery, as they can help with wound healing.

However, people should try to avoid fruits with small seeds, as the seeds may get stuck in the wound.

A person may also wish to avoid using fruit juices in their milkshakes or smoothies. According to a 2020 article, fruit juices may slow the healing process.

Some firmer foods that may be suitable to eat include fish, pasta, and potatoes.

Consuming the following foods and beverages can be harmful when healing from wisdom tooth removal:

  • hot or fizzy drinks
  • fruit juices, as acidic substances may irritate the removal site or cause discomfort
  • seeds, peppercorns, and other spices with course remnants, which can get stuck in the wound
  • spicy foods
  • hard or sharp foods, such as chips and popcorn
  • nuts
  • alcohol

People should avoid using straws or drinking hot beverages, as the suction can dislodge the blood clot, leading to dry socket. Dry socket is a condition that causes an ache or an intense, throbbing pain in the jaw or gum.

If a person wants a hot beverage, they can opt for lukewarm chamomile tea.

Recovery times vary from person to person, as does the ability to eat afterward.

Immediately after removal and for the next few days, people should try to eat liquid and soft foods. An individual’s healing and comfort will determine when they can eat more solid foods.

A healthy diet is an important part of wound healing. However, pain, inflammation, and jaw stiffness can make eating difficult after wisdom tooth removal.

People may receive specific instructions and antibiotics in addition to anti-inflammatory drugs and pain medications.

The dentist or surgeon may also recommend an antiseptic mouthwash that a person can regularly use, beginning 24 hours after the surgery.

To help with recovery, people should try to:

  • Take time off work: The amount of time that someone should take off work depends on the severity of the surgery and whether or not they received a general anesthetic. The NHS recommends taking 1–2 days off work.
  • Take pain relief medication: People often take acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain relief following wisdom tooth removal. According to Cochrane Clinical Answers, research suggests that ibuprofen might be more effective than acetaminophen after this procedure.
  • Take anti-inflammatory drugs: After wisdom tooth removal, a dentist may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications. People should ensure that they take these medications exactly as the dentist instructs.

Using an ice pack may also help relieve pain and swelling.

Doctors and dentists may also prescribe an antibiotic called amoxicillin after tooth removal to reduce the risk of infection.

A review of studies found that the use of antibiotics may substantially reduce the risk of complications, such as infection and dry socket. However, they are not usually necessary.

As with any surgery, complications can follow the removal of a wisdom tooth. The sections below look at some of these in more detail.

Infection

Infection may occur after the surgery.

Symptoms of infection can include:

  • yellow or white discharge
  • high temperature
  • worsening pain or swelling after 4–5 days
  • bad breath

Antiseptic mouthwashes may help prevent infection.

Delayed healing

When new bone is slower to grow in the empty socket, it is known as delayed healing.

Delayed healing does not necessarily require another trip to the dentist or surgeon. It may only mean that recovery takes longer.

Dry socket

Dry socket occurs when a blood clot does not develop in the empty tooth socket. It may also happen if a clot dislodges, which is a common complication in people who use straws for drinking.

Also, a person has a higher risk of developing dry socket if they:

  • smoke
  • do not follow their dentist’s instructions after surgery
  • are over 25 years of age
  • have had a complicated removal

If dry socket occurs, a person should contact the dentist or surgeon who removed the tooth for a follow-up appointment.

Permanent numbing of the jaw

The wisdom teeth are close to nerves that can be injured during removal. An injury may lead to paresthesia, which refers to the numbing of the lower jaw, lip, and tongue.

The risk of permanent numbing is very low. However, a person may experience temporary numbing for several weeks or months, which can make eating and drinking difficult.

If the numbness lasts for longer than a few months, it is important to contact the dentist or surgeon.

It is important to make sure that people have enough food options after wisdom tooth removal.

A person may wish to consider stocking the home with a variety of liquids and soft foods before they have their wisdom tooth removed. This can help them stick to a soft food diet and aid recovery.

If no complications arise, the tooth socket should heal within approximately 2 weeks.

If complications do arise, the person should contact the doctor or dentist who performed the removal for a follow-up appointment.

After a person has undergone a wisdom tooth extraction, it is important to eat selectively to ensure that they do not choose foods that can affect healing or cause any further issues with their teeth.

Some foods to opt for include soft, healthy foods because these will not interfere with the wound and because the vitamins and minerals in healthy foods may also aid quicker healing.

Some foods to avoid include those that contain seeds or any small parts that may get into the wound left after a wisdom tooth extraction.

How long after wisdom teeth removal Can I eat normally?

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.

What snacks to eat after extraction?

Let's look at eight soft foods to eat after tooth extraction:.
Soup. During the first few days after you have surgery, soup should be at the top of your list of soft foods to eat after wisdom teeth removal. ... .
Applesauce. ... .
Yogurt. ... .
Eggs. ... .
Oatmeal. ... .
Mashed Potatoes. ... .
Cottage Cheese. ... .
Ice Cream..

What snacks can I eat after oral surgery?

Focus on consuming a variety of nutritious foods which don't require chewing..
Hearty vegetable soups (cream of asparagus, lentil, minestrone, split pea).
Juices (cranberry, apple, grape).
Herbal Tea..
Jell-O..
Sorbet and yogurt (soft or frozen).
Pudding or custard..

What foods can you eat on day 3 after wisdom teeth removal?

On day 3 after surgery, eat soft foods that do not require much chewing, such as macaroni and cheese, cooked noodles, soft-boiled /scrambled/ poached eggs and soft sandwiches. Avoid tough or crunchy foods, such as pizza, rice, popcorn, and hamburger. Avoid spicy and acidic foods.