You might be curious about how soon you can start eating again after having your wisdom teeth removed by a dentist. The good news is that eating is not the worst part of this recovery period—a few things to avoid while healing: chewing, alcohol, and solid foods. While there are a few restrictions, most people feel completely fine two weeks after the procedure.
It would help if you refrained from consuming meals that are crunchy or firm while you are recovering. Foods that are acidic, hot, or abrasive should also be avoided. You ought to be able to eat the majority of your preferred foods after three days. During this time, it’s also not recommended to drink or smoke. Without the additional strain of gum and tooth discomfort, your mouth, which needs rest, will heal much more swiftly. However, it would help if you refrained from chewing on anything crunchy or firm.
What is Exactly a Wisdom Tooth?
The third pair of molars, wisdom teeth, are situated at the back of your mouth. They normally appear when you are between the ages of 17 and 25. Because they are impacted and won’t come in regularly, they might need to be removed. Or perhaps they need to be taken out because they’re approaching from the wrong angle. The removal of wisdom teeth is a regular procedure.
You’ll be given an anesthetic throughout the removal process. The use of local, sedative or general anesthesia is common among surgeons. Your surgeon may make incisions to remove your teeth if they haven’t yet erupted. If the bone obstructs the tooth’s root, it might need to be removed. After the teeth have been extracted, the area will be cleaned, and if necessary, sutures will be added to close the incision site. Additionally, they will cover the extraction site with gauze.
After having your wisdom teeth removed, what you eat is crucial. Eating bland or watery foods will prevent irritation at the extraction site and hasten to heal. Certain foods and beverages can irritate or get stuck in the extraction sites, which can cause infection. You must follow your doctor’s recommendations regarding what to eat after surgery.
How soon After Wisdom Teeth Removal can I Eat Again?
After removing your wisdom teeth, you could start to feel hungry as the anesthetic wears off. After removing your wisdom teeth, you can consume some things immediately, but they must be extremely soft and require no chewing.
It would help if you stuck to broth and juice for several hours after removing your wisdom teeth. You can start eating soft foods that need some chewing after three days, such as scrambled eggs, macaroni, and cheese. Yogurt, silky soups, pudding, refried beans, mashed potatoes, and other foods that don’t require much chewing can be added the next day.
Avoid things like popcorn, hamburgers, chips, chicken breast, salads, and other tough or crunchy items. Foods that are acidic, spicy, or sweet should also be avoided. Do not smoke or consume alcohol at this time.
Most of your favorite foods should be safe to consume after roughly a week, although crunchy and spicy food may still be too painful for your gums to handle.
What to Eat After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
It would help if you started with liquids and soft foods within the first few hours after removing your wisdom teeth and throughout your rehabilitation. These foods will save you from pain by not requiring you to chew them. Please avoid eating tougher foods at this time since they could harm the healing area or become caught there.
Examples of liquid and soft foods include:
- Apple sauce
- Yogurt
- Smoothies
- Brothers and blended soups
- Mashed potatoes
- Jell-O, pudding, and ice cream
Jell-O, smoothies, and ice cream are all cold foods that may help with discomfort. Soups and smoothies packed with nutrients can aid in the healing process. Particularly soups can help counteract the other high-sugar choices on the list.
You can start adding more typical foods as your body begins to mend. Before introducing things like poultry, fruits, and veggies, start simple with semisoft items like scrambled eggs, quick cereal, and toast.
How to Eat After Tooth Removal?
Here is the five days guide on how to eat after wisdom tooth removal:
Day 1
You’ll feel a little uncomfortable the day of the procedure. You’ll probably feel hungry yet not want to eat. You should never eat solid foods. Stick to liquids like broth instead. It would help if you consumed adequate liquids; juice and water are excellent choices. It would help if you refrained from using a straw because it can result in a dry socket. The blood clot that forms after surgery is dislodged, resulting in a dry socket. It may be agonizing to have this condition. Using a straw to breathe can induce the blood clot to emerge.
Day 2
It is advised to switch to soft foods after 24 hours. Even so, soft foods like yogurt, pudding, jello, and soups that have some substance are acceptable to eat. Avoid eating anything that is excessively hot or cold because there will be a lot of sensitivity. Eat away from the incision site if at all feasible.
Day 3
On day three, you should consume soft meals like pudding, jello, soup, and applesauce. You can also add mashed potatoes to your diet for a change of pace. Any hot food or beverage should be allowed to cool to room temperature. This will lessen the chance of creating discomfort.
Day 4
It’s imperative to continue drinking liquids and eat soft foods for the next two days. You can eat cream of wheat, oats, and ice cream on day four. Popsicles can also be consumed, but it may be advisable to avoid them for the first few days if you notice that the cold of ice cream and popsicles makes you feel uneasy. In general, many people discover that the cold soothes sore gums.
Day 5
The final postoperative day, day five, is when you should still eat softer foods. Eggs, macaroni, and cheese are excellent additions to the diet because they are still simple to prepare and offer some nutrients and flavor. You can now start consuming larger meals. But it would help if you also avoid foods that are too crunchy. The incision site may become damaged if the chips and shells are excessively crunchy. Tacos and nachos are a wonderful illustration of this.
Day 6 and Beyond
You should continue to be cautious about what you eat and drink after day six. Overly hot or cold foods should be avoided for at least the first week. Around day six, you might experience reduced sensitivity, less swelling, and much easier chewing. Anything that is very chewy should be avoided, though. It’s crucial to keep the teeth and gums clean after eating. Gently brush the region with a toothbrush with soft bristles. Beginning on day 2, your dentist will probably give you instructions to perform a saltwater rinse. It’s crucial to avoid using too much force and to swish the rinse about your mouth merely.
What to Avoid Eating After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Following wisdom tooth removal, there are some foods you should avoid. For the first several days, stick to the meals on the list above. Stay away from the following foods until the extraction site has healed for at least a week.
- Acidic and spicy foods (including citrus juice) may cause irritation and pain.
- Alcoholic beverages can irritate the area and are likely to interact negatively with the pain medication prescribed by your doctor.
- Grains (including rice and quinoa) and any types of seeds can easily become trapped in the extraction site.
- Hard or difficult-to-chew foods (including nuts, chips, and jerky) can reopen the stitches and delay healing.
Additionally, it would help if you abstained from smoking cigarettes for at least 72 hours following surgery because it greatly increases the chance of problems. For at least a week, refrain from chewing tobacco use.
What Complications Exist During Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Although they are rare, problems after wisdom tooth removal are possible. Reopening the extraction site is the most frequent consequence and slows healing.
Dry Sockets
Also typical are dry sockets. They take place when the blood in the tooth socket fails to clot or if the clot becomes displaced. This usually occurs three to five days after having a tooth extracted. Your surgeon can provide treatment for dry sockets. Debris will be flushed out, and a medicated dressing may be placed over the socket. Dry socket signs and symptoms include:
- An unpleasant taste or smell coming from the socket
- Aching or throbbing pain in the gum or jaw (it may be intense)
- Exposed bone
Infections
Food crumbs or other microorganisms stuck in the socket where your wisdom teeth were removed might lead to infections. Bacteria should be treated quickly since they can spread throughout the body. Infection signs and symptoms include:
- Blood or pus from the extraction site
- Fever
- Spasms of the jaw muscles
- Chills
- Painful or swollen gums near the extraction area
- Bad taste or smell in the mouth
Nerve Damage
Although it is uncommon, wisdom teeth removal can sometimes cause nerve injury. The trigeminal nerve could become damaged during surgery. Most frequently, the damage is just transitory, lasting a few weeks or months. If the injury is severe, nerve damage may be irreversible. The following are signs of nerve injury brought on by wisdom teeth extraction:
- Pain
- Numbness or tingling in the gums, tongue, chin, surrounding teeth, and lower lips
Allergic Reaction
Get emergency medical help if you exhibit symptoms of an allergic reaction. Your doctor may have recommended medications that you are allergic to, including your painkiller. Allergic response symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
- Feeling like your throat is closing, or your tongue is swelling
- Lightheadedness
- Rapid heart rate
- Skin rash
- Fever
Conclusion
As long as patients adhere to their doctor’s recovery recommendations, the majority of patients recover fast from wisdom tooth removal. You’ll feel a lot more at peace, and the likelihood of difficulties will be greatly reduced. A key component of these guidelines is to consume the proper foods and beverages while avoiding improper ones.
Ultimately, every patient can heal completely at a different pace, so we advise you to introduce foods based on your comfort level gradually. Following dental surgery, it typically takes six weeks for sockets to heal completely, and 3–4 weeks after the treatment, you should be able to resume most of your regular eating routines.