When can j eat 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.

Table of Contents Show

What to Avoid
Why Can’t I Eat Solid Food?
Why Do Wisdom Teeth Need to Be Removed?
How We Prepare You for Recovery
Why Will Your Diet Be Restricted After the Procedure?
What Can You Eat After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Foods to Avoid After Surgery
Do Your Wisdom Teeth Need to Be Removed?

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!

Why Can’t I Eat Solid Food?

A surgical procedure is often required to remove wisdom teeth. Following this procedure, the wound inside the patient’s dental cavity needs to heal. The recovery process starts quickly, but it takes some time for the wound to heal completely.

This is why Dr. Amin Samadian recommends patients do not immediately return to solid foods after their wisdom teeth are removed.

When eating spicy food, the gums and surrounding area where the surgery was performed can become irritated. When this happens, pain is likely to occur. Alcohol is also known to irritate the gums and wound. When eating hard foods, it may cause the stitches at the wound to open. This can lead a longer recovery time and interfere with healing.

Grains should also be avoided for the first few days. Eating foods like rice can cause the grains to get stuck in the wound. This can cause problems with the healing process and even contribute to an infection in the process.

At the Maryland Center for Oral Surgery and Dental Implants, wisdom teeth removal is one of the most common procedures we offer. It is rare for wisdom teeth to erupt fully and be healthy. And removing them is the effective option for your oral health.

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.