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.
Even though we all love smoothies and ice cream, a common question our patients ask is, “When can I eat solid food after wisdom teeth removal?” Well, there are multiple factors at play here. How soon you’ll start eating solid foods mainly depends on the patient’s comfort level and how fast the healing process is progressing.
At Katy Cypress Oral Surgery & Implant Centre, our dentists and oral surgeons typically recommend waiting about a week before you resume eating solid food again after oral surgery. But it all comes down to how well you are following wisdom teeth removal aftercare. Let’s give a full read to learn more about the wisdom teeth removal recovery timeline and much more!
When Can You Eat Solid Foods Depends On How Well You Are Caring For Your Gums After Wisdom Teeth Removal
Caring for your gums after wisdom teeth extraction is crucial for better recovery without complications. As we know, wisdom teeth removal is a surgery performed at a dentist or oral surgeon’s office. Although most teeth can be removed without cutting or incisions, some impacted wisdom teeth require surgery to remove bone and other obstructions while removing large molars. You may also require extensive anesthesia and possibly sedation while undergoing wisdom teeth removal. This will allow you to get done with your procedure without feeling discomfort or pain.
Once your wisdom teeth are removed, your gums will have holes that need to heal. Your oral surgeon will likely fill and cover the extraction site to help keep it clean. Thus, restricting foods and drinks during the initial days of your teeth extraction recovery time. This will help reduce the risk of complications like infections and reduce irritation to the wounds. Therefore, knowing which foods you can eat after wisdom teeth removal is essential. The main idea is to minimize the risk of damage and help the extraction sites to heal faster.
For the first 1-2 days, eat only drinks and soft foods like ice cream, yogurt, and applesauce. Moreover, cold foods like ice cream and smoothies may help you with some of the discomforts. And as you start feeling better, you can try adding more solid foods gradually. On the third day after wisdom tooth extraction, you can add foods like toast, oatmeal, or eggs. You may also want to learn more about “What to eat and what not to eat after wisdom teeth removal?”
You can increase solid foods one by one if chewing doesn’t cause any pain. But if you do feel pain when chewing, it is advisable to go back to soft and semi-soft foods.
Take Away
When can you eat solid food after wisdom teeth removal? Generally, most people can resume a regular diet within a week. So if you take good care of your wound and follow your doctor’s instructions, you can likely eat solid foods again after one week of your wisdom teeth removal procedure.