Five Foods to Eat – Five Foods to Avoid
After you have wisdom teeth removed, you are eventually going to get hungry and wonder what foods can I eat. You certainly do not want to create further injury, and you want to avoid loosening the new clot. Although wisdom teeth removal surgery requires time for your gums to heal, you can eat several foods afterward with confidence.
Things to Avoid
After the surgery, the dentist or oral surgeon will place some gauze in your mouth and ask you to bite down on it. You will need to keep it in place for a while to help the initial clot to form. The clot will stop the bleeding and help the healing process to begin. If the clot is moved, you could end up with a dry socket, which is something you do not want. It can be quite painful and can last for several days.
Five Foods to Eat
In general, when you want food to eat, you want to stick to soft foods that you can chew easily. You also want to eat foods that will provide you with the right vitamins to help your gums to heal quickly. The good news is that there are many foods that are soft that are also very tasty, but some nutritious food is healthier than others.
- Soup – There are many kinds of soft soups that you can eat, but you may just want to start out with broth. Soups can give you a lot of the nutrients and protein you need to keep you going. For the first couple of days, stay away from including larger chunks of meat or vegetables in the soup, and make sure that everything is soft. Options include tomato soup, beef broth, pea soup, pumpkin soup, or chicken noodle soup. It is also important that you avoid hot foods, and choose warm or cold instead.
- Mashed Potatoes – This is a food that goes down easy. You want to eat them warm or cold but stay away from eating them while hot. Potatoes have lots of nutrients.
- Scrambled Eggs – Another soft food that is packed with nutrients is eggs that have been scrambled. Scrambled eggs are packed with nutrients, protein, and vitamins. If you get the eggs that have been enriched with omega-3, it will help to aid healing.
- Applesauce – Applesauce has lots of good nutrients in it that can help your teeth and gums. You will also get the nutrients that come with apples, including vitamin C, which can give your immune system a boost.
- Cottage Cheese – A food like cottage cheese can easily be added to your diet. It contains a lot of protein and vitamins. It also has the advantage of being low in calories.
There are also other soft foods that you can eat to vary your diet. You may also want to eat yogurt, milkshakes (but use a spoon instead of a straw), smoothies, pureed fruit without seeds, ice cream, and mashed beans.
Five Foods to Avoid
You want to stay away from sucking on straws. This can dislodge the clot. Smoking can do the same thing, so you want to avoid smoking.
- Snack Foods – Many snack foods are hard and crunchy, such as chips, nuts, pretzels, and popcorn. Although you may eat these foods often, it is best to not eat them for about a week – two might even be better. This is because it can hurt your gums or damage the blood clot. If it gets into the cavity, it could cause an infection. It is best to stay away from this type of food to ensure healing.
- Acidic Foods – Foods that are acidic tend to slow the speed at which a wound will heal. It will also be more comfortable to avoid them while the wound is healing.
- Sticky and Chewy Foods – Stay away from foods that require you to open your mouth wide.
- Foods That Have Small Seeds – Foods such as bagels, breads, fruit, and rice, have small seeds should be avoided because the seeds can get stuck in the wound.
- Sucking Liquids Through a Straw – although you should drink lots of water after the surgery, you want to avoid drinking with a straw. The suction could easily dislodge the clot.
You should also try to eat regularly, even if they are much smaller meals. On the night of the surgery, you can gently brush your teeth, and be sure to rinse gently. You also want to rinse your mouth out with warm salt water five to six times a day to reduce bacteria and help with healing.
If you need wisdom teeth removal, Tooth HQ Dr. Kumar T. Vadivel, DDS, FDS RCS, MS MBA, a Board Certified Periodontist, can help you. His extensive training and experience can also provide impacted wisdom teeth removal. His offices are located in the Carrollton, Cedar hill, Mockingbird/SMU and Grapevine, TX areas. For a consultation or dental treatment for better dental health, you can contact his office today at 214-731-0123
