2nd November 2019  Dental Health

Planning to get your wisdom tooth removed? Wondering what to eat after the wisdom teeth removal?

I understand how irritable wisdom teeth can get. Particularly, when they grow misaligned. But you will be glad to know that, wisdom tooth removal is one of the least painful surgical procedures. You won’t feel a thing while the dentist detaches your tooth from the gums. Usually, this surgical procedure takes about 30-40 minutes. And during this period your doctor will give you a local anesthetic to numb the area surrounding your teeth. You will still be awake and conscious but won’t feel any pain.

Am I allowed to eat immediately after wisdom teeth removal? If not, then when can I resume my normal diet?

Experts at the School of Dentistry, University of Washington, recommend you to rest for 2-3 days after the procedure. This is to speed up the recovery time. Also, dwindle the amount of swelling in the mouth–which is quite normal after oral surgery. The swelling is estimated to increase for 2-3 days and then go down gradually. 

During this period, your doctor will keep you under some heavy painkillers, therefore, you won’t feel much pain or discomfort. Hence, do not eat any solid food that requires chewing or exertion of energy. 

For the first 2 days, the School of Dentistry recommends patients to drink liquids and eat soft foods only. During this phase, avoid sipping fluids via a straw, or don’t even think about smoking. This kind of activity creates a negative pressure in your mouth. Furthermore, they have suggested a bunch of soft food that I will be listed below in this post.

To answer your second question, you can begin eating soft food 3 days after the teeth removal surgery. Avoid spicy and acidic foods. A normal diet can only be resumed after the healing process has completed–which takes about 7 days.

What to eat(for initial 2 days) after wisdom teeth removal?

1) Milkshakes

A milkshake is a sweet and cold drink that is made from milk and ice cream. It is thick and full of essential nutrients. During the initial 2 days after teeth removal, it is recommended to consume soft foods that are sweet, slightly cold and have a smooth texture. Milkshakes are easy to prepare and go down smoothly. Just make sure you don’t sip it with a pointy straw.

2) Cooked cereals

When it comes to cooking cereals, Quinoa, Wheat, Oats, Brown Rice, and Rye are the most beneficial. Do not consume store-bought breakfast cereal. Even if you heat them with some milk or water, they may contain some small chunks that can unclog the stitches in your mouth.

To cook the above-mentioned cereals in your home, some cereals like Wheat, Brown Rice and Rye may need overnight soaking. While others like Quinoa and Oats can be boiled right after rinsing them with some water. The more your soak a particular cereal, the softer it gets. Hence, a shorter cooking time.   

3) Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is a rich source of Vitamin A, Cobalamin, Magnesium, and Potassium. Moreover, this fresh cheese curd product is also rich in proteins. It is made by draining the curd while retaining the fats and whey in it. It looks a lot like Greek yogurt but is consumed fresh– and not stored for aging. You can add cottage cheese to fruit juice or homemade milkshakes.

4) Eggnog

Eggnog is not only for the Christmas season, but it can also be one of the best food to consume after wisdom teeth removal. This milky- alcoholic beverage also contains eggs. Based on your preference, you can add an alcoholic beverage like brandy, rum, whiskey or bourbon to it. The nutritious punch will help you feel good and also restore your vitality quickly after the oral surgery.

What to eat(from 3rd to 7th day) after wisdom teeth removal?

1) Macaroni and cheese

Macaroni and cheese, also popularly known as mac n cheese is one of the best comfort foods consumed in the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom. After a 2-day fast, begin incorporating semi-solid food like mac n cheese in your diet. Mac n cheese can either be bought from a store(frozen form) or prepared at home with macaroni, cheddar sauce, milk, butter, and flour as the primary ingredients.

2) Cooked noodles

When it comes to noodles, you will never be short of options. There are several types of noodles available in the market; each prepared from specific cereal. Wikihow has a fantastic guide to cooking noodles. Udon noodles, Rice stick noodles, Soba noodles, and Mung bean thread noodles are some of the common organic ones. To save time and effort, you can also resort to Ramen instant noodles. 

3) Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich(aka PB&J) is one of the most easy-to-prepare foods in this list. A PB&J consists of more than one layer of peanut butter and jelly(also known as Jam in the UK). Instead of jelly, you can also add a finely cut piece of strawberry. The red and orange contrast–formed in the middle part of the sandwich–is quite appealing. 

Unlike PB&J, a regular sandwich contains meat, vegetables, and spices. Solid chunks of meat or vegetables can rip open the stitches in your mouth and species can aggravate the incisions. So, keep your sandwich plain and simple for the next 5 days.

4) Soft-boiled or scrambled eggs 

Since you are still not allowed to eat regular food, it is essential to add food that is rich in carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. What better food than an egg. There are two popular ways to prepare eggs: boiling and scrambling. A soft boiled egg differs from a hard-boiled egg by the duration and temperature at which it is boiled in water. To soft boil an egg, you just have to simmer it for 5 minutes.

Conclusion

I hope you got some good ideas from this post. I have mentioned several food items do you no more have to wonder “what to eat after wisdom teeth removal?”. 
For more information on this subject, you can always refer to the “Patient Education” sheet published by the School of Dentistry. The sheet has all the information needed by a patient after wisdom teeth removal surgery.