If you’ve just had a wisdom tooth extraction, you likely want to recover quickly. After all, a speedy healing process means less time feeling sore and achy! That said, you’ll need to follow the proper post-treatment diet. Not doing so will make the road to recovery harder than it should be. Thankfully, your local Savannah dentist is here with some guidance. Read on, then, to learn which foods to eat (and which to avoid) after wisdom tooth extractions.
What Should You Eat?
Following wisdom tooth removal, your mouth is sensitive and needs rest. You’ll thus want to eat foods that don’t upset it. As marked by recovery day, these include the following:
Day 1: Liquids
For the first 24 hours after surgery, you should only have liquids. Your treatment site will be too fragile to handle anything more.
In particular, stick to items like water, juice, and broth during this time. These are great sources of nutrition that will keep you hydrated. However, make sure you don’t drink them with a straw. You could suffer a dry socket otherwise.
Day 2: Highly Soft Foods
You can progress to highly soft foods once the first 24 hours are up. Such things won’t require any real chewing, but they’ll still have some substance.
Examples of these items are yogurt, pudding, jello, and soups. Don’t make them too hot or cold, though, as the incision site will still be sensitive to temperatures.
Days 3-5: Soft, Lightly Chewable Foods
By day three or four of recovery, you can add foods requiring slight chewing to your diet. Your mouth should be well enough to manage them.
Consider trying cream of wheat, oatmeal, or ice cream. Popsicles are also an option, but avoid them if you find their cold uncomfortable. On the other hand, you may find the coolness soothing to your swollen gums.
What Should You Avoid?
While some foods can aid your surgery recovery, some can delay or even prevent it. So, try to avoid these three types as you heal:
- Hot Foods & Drinks – For several hours after the extraction, your mouth will be numb from anesthesia. To avoid burning it during that period, avoid hot foods and drinks.
- Chewy or Crunchy Foods – Since it’s easy to bite your tongue or lips amidst recovery, don’t eat chewy or crunchy foods like chips and pretzels.
- Spicy Foods – Don’t eat spicy foods while recovering, as these could lead to further gum sensitivity or an upset stomach.
Ultimately, you’ll want to follow the right diet after wisdom tooth extractions. Therefore, make sure to eat well so your recovery goes smoothly!
