What to eat after a week of wisdom teeth removal

115 Soft Foods to Eat After Braces, Dental Surgery, Implants or Wisdom Teeth Extraction

By Dr. Tai Li Lin on 18 February 2020

Categories: Braces, Dental Care

What to eat after a week of wisdom teeth removal

After certain procedures like tooth extraction, braces, wisdom tooth extraction/surgery or dental implants, your dentist may recommend a soft food diet.

Eating food that can be easily swallowed with minimal-to-no chewing is a great idea when your mouth is sore. It keeps pain and inflammation in check while allowing the wound (if any) to heal faster.

While soft foods offer your teeth the tender loving care they need, they don’t have to bore the foodie in you — not with our curated list of 115 recipes!

After a tooth extraction, liquid soups like tomato soups and other purees are also good choices because they do not require chewing and have no pieces that could become trapped in the sockets.

Protein shakes and smoothies made with milk or juice and some protein powder can provide nutrition. Do not use a straw to drink your smoothie or any beverage because the suction can dislodge the clots that form over the exposed sockets.

Best foods to eat after teeth removal (0 – 2 days)

As most people will be feeling very tender after the surgery it is best to stick to really soft foods. The following foods can be consumed the entire way through your recovery. Note: Immediately following surgery no hot foods should be consumed as your face will still be numb and you may burn yourself. Wait at least an hour prior to attempting warm foods.

Any foods that require no chewing

  • Yogurt (frozen or normal) – No fruit bits or nuts
  • Jello
  • Ice cream / Sorbet / Milkshake
  • Luke warm soups
  • Pudding
  • Eggs
  • Soggy Cereal (Oatmeal)
  • Well cooked pasta

Food to eat after teeth extraction (2 – 5 days)

You should be able to start returning hot food items to the menu by the second day as the blood clots will be more stable and less likely to restart bleeding.

Any foods that require minimal chewing.

  • Bread
  • Yogurt (frozen or normal) – Including fruit bits
  • Pasta
  • Noodles
  • Soft vegetables – Including hot mashed potatoes
  • Ground beef
  • Chicken
  • Mince products (Lasagna)
  • Eggs
  • Cheese
  • Soups

Final recovery period (> 5 Days)

At this point in time you will likely be starting to feel ready to test out your mouth on some different foods. Depending on how easily your teeth came out will depend on how easy eating harder foods will go. Remember – this is only a guide and if you don’t feel comfortable eating the suggested foods then please continue with the previous stage for longer.

In this stage feel free to eat anything you are comfortable with.

Table of Contents

  1. Eating After Wisdom Teeth Removal
  2. Wisdom Teeth Removal Recovery
  3. Foods Allowed After Wisdom Teeth Removal
  4. Getting Back to Normal
  5. References

You can eat a couple hours after wisdom teeth removal, but the food you consume should be in liquid form, like smoothies. You are safe to eat soft foods about 24 to 48 hours after wisdom teeth removal.

Wisdom tooth removal is a common surgery, but it is considered invasive, so healing afterward takes as long as two weeks. In the first 24 to 48 hours, only consume smooth soup and juice. Then, you can begin to add textured soft foods like mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, and avocados.

After the first week, you may be able to eat most foods you love. It might take another week before you can eat some crunchy or spicy food.

Eating After Wisdom Teeth Removal

As anesthesia wears off after your wisdom tooth removal surgery, you may begin to feel hungry. While you can eat some foods right after your wisdom teeth are removed, these must be very soft, so they do not require any chewing.

Hours after your wisdom teeth are removed, you should stick to broth and juice. The next day, you may add yogurt, smooth soups, pudding, refried beans, mashed potatoes, and other foods that do not require much chewing. After three days, you can eat soft food that might involve some chewing, like scrambled eggs and macaroni and cheese.

Avoid tough or crunchy foods, including popcorn, hamburgers, chips, chicken breast, salads, and similar foods. You should also avoid acidic, spicy, or sugary foods. Do not drink alcohol or smoke during this time.

After about a week, your gums should be healed enough to eat most of your favorite foods, although your gums may still be sensitive enough that you should avoid crunchy and spicy food.

What Is It Like to Recover From Wisdom Teeth Removal?

Many adults in the United States have their wisdom teeth removed, typically around the time they start to come in. Although some dentists are trying to let their patients’ wisdom teeth come in naturally rather than preemptively removing them, wisdom teeth can often crowd the other teeth, cause too much pressure, and lead to gum disease.

Fortunately, wisdom teeth removal is a standard, common operation that dentists are well trained in.

Recovery from wisdom tooth removal takes about two weeks, on average. For the first week or so after the extraction, you can expect side effects like these:

  • Swollen mouth and cheeks, which might make it difficult to eat
  • Some visible bruising on the cheeks'
  • A stiff, sore jaw that should wear off in about 7 to 10 days
  • Pain, which over-the-counter pain medications should take care of
  • An unpleasant taste in your mouth
  • Bad breath, which should go away in a few days
  • Bleeding that should stop after one to two days

In the first 24 hours after your wisdom teeth are removed, you should replace the gauze in your mouth as directed. Avoid spitting, sipping through straws, rinsing your mouth out, smoking, and drinking alcohol. You may only be able to drink broth and juice.

After the first 24 hours, gently rinse your mouth as directed by your dentist, and stick with the recommended foods. Avoid strenuous exercise for a few days, and prop your head up with an extra pillow at night to reduce swelling. You should be able to return to work after about a week, although your gums will not be completely healed, and you may still experience some discomfort.

Following the early stages of wisdom teeth removal, your mouth is at risk of bacteria. During this time, developing a cavity can undoubtedly occur, which is why taking care of your oral hygiene is so important.

What Foods Can I Eat After Wisdom Teeth Removal & When?

In the first 48 hours after your wisdom teeth are removed, stick to soft foods like:

  • Jell-O
  • Ice cream
  • Pudding
  • Soup
  • Juice
  • Smoothies
  • Apple sauce
  • Cottage cheese

After the first two days, you can add other foods with more nutrition like these:

  • Yogurt
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Milkshakes
  • Scrambled eggs
  • Soft meat or fish
  • Avocadoes
  • Oatmeal
  • Soft bananas
  • Pureed or mashed vegetables like carrots or parsnips
  • Pureed seedless fruit

You may want to avoid anything that requires much chewing for the first week. Add foods after 7 to 10 days based on what your dentist says about your gums’ healing process.

Getting Back to Normal After Surgery

After about a week, you can add many foods back into your diet. If the clots in the sockets are healed enough according to your dentist, you can use straws to sip smoothies or other drinks. You may wish to avoid tough foods like pretzels, chips, or tough meats; spicy foods; or sugary or processed foods.

Your gums may need another week to fully heal. However, many people recover well from this procedure and will be enjoying nachos, fresh carrots and celery, and popcorn again before they know it.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to serve as dental or other professional health advice and is not intended to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any condition or symptom. You should consult a dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

What can I eat 7 days after wisdom teeth removal?

You should eat only soft foods for the first week: for example, soups, eggs, mashed potatoes, and meatloaf are fine. For 2 weeks (8 weeks if you had lower wisdom teeth extracted), do not eat hard, crunchy, or very chewy foods, such as European breads, pizza crust, steak or jerky, nuts, or popcorn.

Can I eat normally 1 week after wisdom teeth removal?

After 7 days, you should be able to return to your usual diet. Still, it's recommended that you keep avoiding very crunchy and hot food for a few days longer. If you have any stitches, they will most likely dissolve and fall out in approximately a week, so you don't have to go and get them removed.

Can I eat solid food 7 days after wisdom teeth?

Although each patient is different and our surgeon will give specific recommendations according to the particular case, as a general rule, we advise patients to wait at least seven days to incorporate solid foods into their diet.

What foods can I eat 6 days after wisdom teeth removal?

15 Soft Foods to Eat After Having Your Wisdom Teeth Removed.
Blended soups. Blended soups, like tomato or pumpkin soup, are great to eat after you've had your wisdom teeth removed. ... .
Broths. ... .
Greek yogurt. ... .
Mashed potatoes. ... .
Scrambled eggs. ... .
Applesauce. ... .
Mashed bananas. ... .
Banana ice cream..