Did you know that about 85 percent of people have their wisdom teeth removed? These teeth are often superfluous and can push up against other teeth, causing pain and other problems. As a result, these teeth are often extracted through a surgical procedure, which unfortunately brings a host of potential complications along with it.
But how do you recover from treatment in your mouth when you need to eat and drink to survive? Instead of focusing on a list of things you can’t eat, you want to know what are you allowed to eat after wisdom tooth extraction. Here is the most basic breakdown!
One Day After Surgery
The day after you get home, you’ll be resting most of the time. You may feel hungry but not want to eat because you feel sore. This early on, you should not have solid foods. Liquids, such as water, broth, and juice, are permitted and encouraged for the first day or two after surgery.
During this time, a blood clot will form over each incision site. This needs to happen; it’s your body’s way of protecting the tissue underneath from bacteria as it heals. When these clots are prematurely removed, it exposes the tissue to a painful infection called dry socket. In other words, you want the clot(s) to stay there!
Two to Six Days After Surgery
About 48 hours after your extraction, you may have soft foods again. Examples of these early foods include cooked oatmeal, pudding, tomato soup, Jell-O, cooked vegetables, and the like. At this point, you may still want to avoid overly hot or cold substances because the area will likely be sensitive. However, you may progress to scrambled eggs, ice cream, and other soft foods according to your tolerance. Just make sure you limit contact with the surgical sites and keep those blood clots in place!
A Week After Surgery
When you reach a week following your wisdom tooth extraction, you should be okay to return to your normal, solid-food diet; however, you may want to reintroduce extremely crunchy foods like chips or tacos back into your diet over time. Pay attention to your mouth and try to protect your incisions for perhaps another week and go back to certain foods as you feel up to it.
In the end, it may be difficult to stick to a specialized diet, but just remember it is a short-term plan. Time will pass, and soon enough you’ll be back to eating whatever you choose—without having to worry about the pain of impacted wisdom teeth.
About the Author
As an oral surgeon, Dr. Sheng Ji has not only one advanced degree but two! After completing his dental education at the University of California San Francisco, he pursued a medical degree from the University of Texas, Southwestern and specialty training in oral maxillofacial surgery. In his practice in Carmichael, he provides wisdom tooth extraction for patients who require this service. To learn more about this procedure and the aftercare, you may call the office at 916-961-1902 or request an appointment here.