When can you eat crunchy food after wisdom teeth removal

When can you eat crunchy food after wisdom teeth removal

At Hill Country Oral Surgery, we understand that wisdom teeth removal can be a complicated procedure. It involves a minor surgery that can be distressing for many patients and has a recovery time that can last up to seven days. During this time, patients usually feel discomfort. They need to modify many aspects of their routine, including work, leisure, and physical activity. Still, we consider that the most drastic changes are usually made in patients’ diets.

Although each patient is different and our surgeon will give specific recommendations according to the particular case, as a general rule, we advise patients to wait at least seven days to incorporate solid foods into their diet. Hard foods can interfere with recovery and disrupt the healing process, and as the main idea of this diet is to enable patients to go back to normal as soon as possible, we strongly recommend those who undergo this procedure follow this advice.

Why Do I Need to Avoid Solids After the Surgery?

The reason is simple: solid foods can injure the recovery site provoking pain, bleeding, or even the dislodge of the blood clot. This latter scenario is the one that worries dentists the most. The blood clot has a crucial role in the wound’s healing process, and if it is accidentally dislodged, it can lead to a dry socket, a painful infection that can make patients see the stars.

Luckily, you can avoid this shooting pain and prevent all these inconveniences by following a soft diet for a week (or until the wound is completely healed). This might be challenging and a bit unhandy, but it is the only way to ensure effective healing.

What Can I Eat in the Meantime?

We always provide some guidance regarding what to eat or drink after an extraction. At first, cold or warm (not hot) soft foods are recommended, like smoothies, soup, jelly, yogurt, and mashed potatoes. Ice cream is also highly advisable, as the cold can also help reduce inflammation and pain.

As the wound heals and you feel better, you can slowly introduce other foods to your diet, like oatmeal and scrambled eggs. You should always monitor how you feel after the meals and then evaluate if you’re doing fine or would rather go back to softer foods.

A few more recommendations…

Besides solids, other foods and habits can dislodge the blood clot and interrupt the healing process. It would be best if, after surgery, you avoid:

  • smoking
  • using a straw
  • chewing gum
  • strong physical activity
  • lifting heavyweight
  • whistling

Contact Hill Country Oral Surgery

If you are looking to have your wisdom teeth removed, or still have some doubts about post-op indications or the procedure itself, contact our team! Our dentists will explain the step-by-step in detail and answer all your questions.

When can you eat crunchy food after wisdom teeth removal
As much as we all love ice cream and smoothies, a common question our patients ask is, when will they be able to resume eating more solid foods following their wisdom teeth removal? There are several factors at play here, and the introduction of solid foods can often depend on the patient’s comfort level and how quickly their healing process is progressing. For our Glendale, Pasadena, and La Cañada patients, we typically recommend waiting about a week following your dental surgery before introducing solid food back into your diet.

What to Eat After Wisdom Teeth Removal

Immediately following your wisdom teeth removal, there will be some pain and swelling. It is important to be gentle with your jaw and not disrupt the blood clot during those first few days. This risk can be lessened by eating soft or liquid foods only during those initial days.

For the first week following surgery, see some great options for foods below:

  • Smoothies
  • Broths or soups
  • Jello
  • Yogurt
  • Apple sauce
  • Mashed potatoes

You must follow all aftercare procedures as advised by your dental surgeon and be very gentle following your surgery. After a few days, you can slowly begin to introduce other foods, but listen to your body and go back to soft or liquid meals if you start to experience pain or discomfort. When introducing more solid foods, you can ease into it with scrambled eggs or oatmeal, rather than chips or steak.

What to Avoid

Certain foods should be avoided during your recovery, as they may disrupt your healing process. Crunchy or hard-to-chew foods such as nuts or beef jerky can reopen stitches or get stuck in the extraction site, causing pain or infection. Additionally, foods high in acidity or spice can irritate your wound and cause discomfort.

Straws are also a big no-no when it comes to healing from a wisdom teeth removal procedure. The sucking motion needed to use a straw can dislodge the blood clot and cause bleeding, pain, and a prolonged recovery. This is often called dry socket, and it can be quite painful.

Ultimately, every patient can take a different amount of time to heal fully, and we encourage you to slowly introduce foods based on your comfort level. Most sockets take about 6 weeks to heal fully following dental surgery, and you should be back to mostly normal eating habits within 3-4 weeks post-procedure.

Are you looking to get your wisdom teeth removed? Call our Glendale, Pasadena, or La Cañada locations to schedule a consultation today!

When can you eat crunchy food after wisdom teeth removal

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Treating patients throughout San Francisco & East Bay. Dr. Samadian specializes in treatments such as smile makeovers, porcelain veneers, digital reconstructions, aesthetic dentistry, and dental implants. Focusing on regeneration and restoring tooth structure, bone loss, and gum recession utilizing the latest LANAP laser technology.

How Soon After Wisdom Teeth Removal Am I Able to Eat?Clinical Content Reviewed by Dr. Jay Khorsandi, DDS

  1. Eating After Wisdom Teeth Removal
  2. Wisdom Teeth Removal Recovery
  3. Foods Allowed After Wisdom Teeth Removal
  4. Getting Back to Normal
  5. References

You can eat a couple hours after wisdom teeth removal, but the food you consume should be in liquid form, like smoothies. You are safe to eat soft foods about 24 to 48 hours after wisdom teeth removal.

Wisdom tooth removal is a common surgery, but it is considered invasive, so healing afterward takes as long as two weeks. In the first 24 to 48 hours, only consume smooth soup and juice. Then, you can begin to add textured soft foods like mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, and avocados.

After the first week, you may be able to eat most foods you love. It might take another week before you can eat some crunchy or spicy food.

As anesthesia wears off after your wisdom tooth removal surgery, you may begin to feel hungry. While you can eat some foods right after your wisdom teeth are removed, these must be very soft, so they do not require any chewing.

Hours after your wisdom teeth are removed, you should stick to broth and juice. The next day, you may add yogurt, smooth soups, pudding, refried beans, mashed potatoes, and other foods that do not require much chewing. After three days, you can eat soft food that might involve some chewing, like scrambled eggs and macaroni and cheese.

Avoid tough or crunchy foods, including popcorn, hamburgers, chips, chicken breast, salads, and similar foods. You should also avoid acidic, spicy, or sugary foods. Do not drink alcohol or smoke during this time.

After about a week, your gums should be healed enough to eat most of your favorite foods, although your gums may still be sensitive enough that you should avoid crunchy and spicy food.

Many adults in the United States have their wisdom teeth removed, typically around the time they start to come in. Although some dentists are trying to let their patients’ wisdom teeth come in naturally rather than preemptively removing them, wisdom teeth can often crowd the other teeth, cause too much pressure, and lead to gum disease.

Fortunately, wisdom teeth removal is a standard, common operation that dentists are well trained in.

Recovery from wisdom tooth removal takes about two weeks, on average. For the first week or so after the extraction, you can expect side effects like these:

  • Swollen mouth and cheeks, which might make it difficult to eat
  • Some visible bruising on the cheeks'
  • A stiff, sore jaw that should wear off in about 7 to 10 days
  • Pain, which over-the-counter pain medications should take care of
  • An unpleasant taste in your mouth
  • Bad breath, which should go away in a few days
  • Bleeding that should stop after one to two days

In the first 24 hours after your wisdom teeth are removed, you should replace the gauze in your mouth as directed. Avoid spitting, sipping through straws, rinsing your mouth out, smoking, and drinking alcohol. You may only be able to drink broth and juice.

After the first 24 hours, gently rinse your mouth as directed by your dentist, and stick with the recommended foods. Avoid strenuous exercise for a few days, and prop your head up with an extra pillow at night to reduce swelling. You should be able to return to work after about a week, although your gums will not be completely healed, and you may still experience some discomfort.

Following the early stages of wisdom teeth removal, your mouth is at risk of bacteria. During this time, developing a cavity can undoubtedly occur, which is why taking care of your oral hygiene is so important.

In the first 48 hours after your wisdom teeth are removed, stick to soft foods like:

  • Jell-O
  • Ice cream
  • Pudding
  • Soup
  • Juice
  • Smoothies
  • Apple sauce
  • Cottage cheese

After the first two days, you can add other foods with more nutrition like these:

  • Yogurt
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Milkshakes
  • Scrambled eggs
  • Soft meat or fish
  • Avocadoes
  • Oatmeal
  • Soft bananas
  • Pureed or mashed vegetables like carrots or parsnips
  • Pureed seedless fruit

You may want to avoid anything that requires much chewing for the first week. Add foods after 7 to 10 days based on what your dentist says about your gums’ healing process.

After about a week, you can add many foods back into your diet. If the clots in the sockets are healed enough according to your dentist, you can use straws to sip smoothies or other drinks. You may wish to avoid tough foods like pretzels, chips, or tough meats; spicy foods; or sugary or processed foods.

Your gums may need another week to fully heal. However, many people recover well from this procedure and will be enjoying nachos, fresh carrots and celery, and popcorn again before they know it.

Disclaimer: This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to serve as dental or other professional health advice and is not intended to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any condition or symptom. You should consult a dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

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