Foods to Eat After Wisdom Teeth Surgery
After wisdom teeth surgery, foods you eat are an important part of your healing and recovery. Taking good care of yourself after surgery will help minimize wisdom teeth pain and help you heal faster. Closely following the post-operative instructions provided by your doctor is critical to a smooth recovery. One of the most important instructions for after wisdom teeth surgery involves your post-operative diet. Almost everyone knows that soft foods are best after wisdom teeth surgery, but not all soft foods are healthy and helpful to healing.
Take Your Vitamins for Faster Healing
The foods you eat after wisdom teeth surgery should be packed with nutrition in order to give your body the fuel it needs to heal. Consuming healthy amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals can be a challenge when your mouth is sore and you are restricted to a soft diet. Taking a multi vitamin, or supplements containing Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin B and Vitamin K can help boost your nutrition and support healing. Foods that are high in important nutrients such as protein, “good fats”, vitamins and minerals are best.
Stick to Soft Foods After Wisdom Teeth Removal
Foods should be soft, easily dissolvable in water, or blended until smooth. It is a good idea to maintain this soft diet for the first two weeks following wisdom teeth surgery. Cold or lukewarm foods are best, and can be soothing. Avoid foods that have small particles or seeds, such as whole grains and seeded fruits, which can become lodged in the surgical site and cause pain or infection. Other foods to avoid include foods that are hot, spicy, acidic, crunchy, tough or chewy. High-sugar processed foods such as packaged pudding and ice cream are fine in moderation, but lack the nutrition you need to support good healing.
10 Foods to Eat After Wisdom Teeth Surgery
We have some ideas for wisdom teeth recovery foods that go beyond ice cream and milkshakes. Nutrient rich foods that meet the ‘soft diet’ criteria and support healing and energy levels are:
1. Yogurt (without fruit seeds as from strawberries/raspberries)
2. Fresh blended smoothies (supplemented with protein powder)
3. Blended soups or cream soups
4. Broth (lukewarm or cold)
5. Unsweetened applesauce
6. Mashed bananas
7. Avocado
8. Hummus
9. Mashed beans (such as refried beans)
10. Mashed cauliflower or potatoes (with or without gravy)
You can supplement your solid food diet with protein shakes and meal replacement shakes such as Boost or Ensure. If you can cook it soft, you can puree it to make it smooth. Foods like carrots, squash, pumpkin or broccoli make a nutritious puree that can be seasoned to taste. Make sure you avoid foods with small particles such as rice, quinoa and whole grains or seeds because of the risk of them becoming lodged in the extraction site.
Beverages that are safe to consume after wisdom teeth surgery are tea, lukewarm coffee, Gatorade or similar beverages, clear fruit juices, milk and of course water. Avoid carbonated beverages, alcohol and hot beverages and highly acidic drinks.
When it comes to eating healthy, nutritious foods after wisdom teeth removal, smooth is the name of the game. You can learn more about wisdom teeth removal and post-operative instructions here.