March 15, 2022
Many people who undergo a tooth extraction procedure wonder how long they have to wait until they begin eating regular food, especially solid foods like meat, cereals, and legumes. After tooth extraction, many dentists recommend that a patient wait for a considerable amount of time until they begin eating solid foods. It is imperative to follow the dentist’s instructions as this gives time for your wound after tooth extraction to heal and this reduces also reduces infection in the wound and the surrounding area. In addition, firm or sharp solid foods can harm the healing site or potentially dislodge the blood clot, resulting in a dry socket. Town Dental- Excelsior looks at how long you should wait before eating solid foods and what foods to consume after tooth extraction.
Why Do You Need A Tooth Extraction?
A dentist may prescribe a tooth extraction for various reasons, including impaction, dental decay, periodontal and gum disease, trauma, or tooth crowding.
Impaction occurs when one teeth grows and pushes directly against another. This can cause infection and swollen gums, which can also bleed. When you notice these symptoms, it is recommended to look for tooth extraction near you where your dentist can either recommend tooth removal or another option.
Tooth decay can spread in your tooth, causing intense pain, redness and swelling. When a tooth reaches this stage, it may be necessary to extract it all together. In addition, tooth extraction will help prevent infection to the other teeth.
Teeth are frequently among the first to be damaged after an accident. An accident might sometimes result in a tooth becoming too damaged to salvage. If this is the case, tooth extraction will be required as rehabilitation. Otherwise, a broken tooth might get seriously infected, necessitating a surgery like a root canal, which can be quite painful.
Aside from causing discomfort, tooth impaction can also result in overcrowding, causing previously straight and well-aligned smiles to become crooked. Removing the troublesome teeth in the rear of the mouth might allow the other teeth to expand out as needed.
How Long After Tooth Extraction Can You Eat Solid Food?
Even though tooth extraction is a relatively safe treatment, proper aftercare is essential for a speedy recovery. In addition, food plays a vital part in post-operative care. Therefore, you should understand when, what, and how to eat after having a tooth extracted to ensure that you do not do anything that slows or delays the healing process, or worse, causes issues.
You should normally forgo solid food for just 24 hours following your tooth extraction in Excelsior, MN, after which you may be able to resume eating again.
It is advisable to look for a dentist near you who can give particular feeding guidelines since they vary depending on the sort of treatment you’ve had and your recovery time. But keep in mind that it’s always better to err on the side of caution than to risk inflicting harm!
The amount of time taken before you can eat solid foods can also depend on the number of teeth you have had removed during one procedure. For instance, a patient who has severe tooth decay may have multiple teeth extracted, and therefore they have to wait longer before they can eat solid foods.
What to Eat After Tooth Extraction?
Within the first 24 hours after tooth removal surgery, you should avoid consuming anything that involves chewing. Try to limit yourself to liquids exclusively. If they don’t fill you up and you want to consume solid food, go for soft meals that don’t need much chewing, like pudding or oatmeal.
It is also important to note that you should not use a straw after the tooth extraction. While drinking with a straw may appear to be a more convenient method of eating liquid food, the suction created by the straw might dislodge the blood clot in your wound, resulting in bleeding, discomfort, and a delay in healing.
You can start to eat soft foods that need little chewing 24 hours after tooth removal. However, you should be careful not to eat from the side of the procedure as this may cause some pain.
Why Do Wisdom Teeth Need to Be Removed?
Wisdom teeth are third molars—the final teeth that grow as you approach adulthood. Healthy third molars emerge between the ages of 17 and 25. But if, like most people, you do not have enough space in the back of your mouth for more teeth, wisdom teeth present a variety of issues as they grow:
- Angled or sideways growth resulting in impaction
- Infection
- Pushing or pressure on other teeth
- Crowding and misalignment
- Cysts or tumors in your jaw
Removing wisdom teeth can help you keep all your teeth in alignment and maintain good oral health.
How We Prepare You for Recovery
Our surgical team will spend time with you before your procedure to ensure you know what to expect. After wisdom teeth removal, we will do the following:
- Provide you with prescriptions for pain medication and, depending on your needs, antibiotics
- Ensure you have gauze and other materials to increase your comfort and ease your recovery
- Give you post-operative care instructions, including reminders about foods to eat and foods to avoid
Why Will Your Diet Be Restricted After the Procedure?
Most patients recover within a few days of wisdom teeth removal, but what you eat in the initial phase can ensure a successful outcome. A temporary change in diet after wisdom tooth removal protects the surgical sites and supports the healing process.
- Keeps the surgical site clear – Without a diet change, hard, crunchy, or sticky foods can enter the surgical sites, cause uncontrolled bleeding, or damage surrounding tissue.
- Prevents dry socket – If a blood clot dislodges before the site heals, bone and nerves are exposed. Dry socket causes intense pain in the surgical site and the nerves alongside your face.
- Minimizes jaw pain – Chewing exercises your jawbone and the surrounding muscles. You can prevent additional pain and soreness by following a restricted diet and letting your jaw rest.
Immediately after wisdom teeth removal, we will place gauze over the surgical sites and apply just enough pressure to promote clotting. After 45 minutes to an hour, you can remove the gauze to eat or drink.
What Can You Eat After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
After wisdom teeth removal, you can eat soft, easy-to-chew foods that are room temperature or cold but not icy. Try to think less about the consistency of the food and more about how much chewing it involves. For example, pancakes are super-soft, but you will probably have to chew them extensively. And excessive chewing can irritate the surgical sites or dislodge a blood clot.
On the day of surgery and for the next day or two, you may eat:
- Applesauce
- Gelatin
- Hummus
- Ice cream
- Pudding
- Smoothies
- Thin soup or broth
- Yogurt
Within a few days, healing usually progresses enough to add other foods back into your diet gradually.
- Avocado
- Beans
- Oatmeal
- Mashed potatoes
- Scrambled eggs
- Squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Softer pasta (e.g., macaroni, orzo, spaghetti)
- Finely sliced and cut meats or fish
Reminders:
- Chew toward the front of your mouth—away from the extraction sites.
- Drink without a straw because sucking through it can dislodge blood clots.
- Feel free to ask our staff if a meal you would like to eat is a good option after surgery.
- While your diet is limited, drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
Foods to Avoid After Surgery
Some foods can irritate the surgical site and disrupt the healing process.
Avoid these foods after wisdom teeth surgery:
- Chewy foods – It takes more time to consume chewy foods. In the process, you can irritate the surgical sites.
- Crunchy foods – Apples, pears, chips, cookies, nuts—even uncooked vegetables like carrots or celery—can get stuck in the wound area, irritate it, and delay healing.
- Spicy foods – It is challenging to keep spicy foods isolated to one area in your mouth. As you eat, saliva distributes spiciness throughout your mouth and can irritate or burn the surgical sites.
- Grains and seeds – Tiny pieces of grain and seeds can enter the wound, irritate it, and cause infection.
- Alcoholic beverages – Consuming beer, wine, or other alcoholic drinks while you take pain medication can damage your liver, result in overdose, and impair function.
- Hot or icy cold foods – Extremes in temperature can irritate the surgical sites and cause sensitivity.
Do Your Wisdom Teeth Need to Be Removed?
Even if you do not feel pain or discomfort, problems with your wisdom teeth might be lurking beneath the surface. If you live in the Baltimore area, request a consultation or exam at the Maryland Center for Oral Surgery and Dental Implants. We have offices near Owings Mills, Hunt Valley, and Bel Air.