After a successful wisdom tooth extraction, the next step is to plan out your road to recovery. An essential part of this process is figuring out what to eat after your wisdom teeth are removed.
Ideally, you should prioritize food that’s highly nutritious and puts less stress on your healing gums, helping you recover faster. This article will let you in on 20 of the best foods you can eat after removing your wisdom teeth.
While this list isn’t exhaustive, it’s a great place to start building your diet during the recovery period. If you need more help, consider speaking with your dentist, who can advise you on what you can or cannot do as your gums heal.
What Can I Eat After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Timeline
After a wisdom tooth extraction, the first few days aren’t exactly ideal for eating solid foods. Instead, it would be best if you ate soft and semi-soft foods that do not worsen the pain or swelling or put you at risk of complications. So let’s look at some meal options that would aid your recovery from wisdom teeth removal.
Days 1 and 2
The first few days after removing your teeth are the most critical. Your gum will be extra sensitive and swollen at this stage, making it impossible for you to chew solids.
During these first days, your best bet is to stick with nutrient-rich liquids and soft food such as smoothies, milkshakes, blended soups, greek yogurt, and applesauce. You can also try mildly cold food for pain relief. In all, remember that your body needs all the nutrients it can get for a speedy recovery.
Days 3 and 4
By the third and fourth days, the pain might have lessened, and your gum wouldn’t hurt as much. Most people can begin eating semi-soft foods that don’t require many chewings, such as scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, instant oatmeal, sandwiches, and noodles.
However, you still need to avoid hard or crunchy food like nuts and pizza. If you feel significant pain while eating semi-soft foods, you should go back to consuming liquids and soft foods for some time—there’s no need to rush back to eating solids.
It would be best if you only transitioned to solid foods when you’re further into the healing process, with limited pain and discomfort.
20 Soft Foods You Can Eat After Wisdom Teeth Removal
While you might be slightly upset about missing out on your favorite meals, you can always enjoy delicious and healthy soft foods during recovery from wisdom teeth removal. Here are our top 20 recommended foods for anyone who has gone through a wisdom tooth removal.
Applesauce
Pureed apples are high in Vitamin C which can help speed up healing.
Baked or Black Beans
A great source of protein, mashed beans are a tasty addition to your post-surgery meals.
Bananas
Easy to chew and nutritious, bananas are a popular option for any time of day.
Broth and Soups
Whether a clear chicken broth or a hearty tomato puree, soups are easy to make and provide extra hydration.
Yogurt
Calcium-rich and silky, yogurt packs a nutritious punch with every spoonful.
Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes are high in calories and packed with nutrients, perfect for those first few days after surgery. Opt for a sweet potato mash for variety.
Scrambled Eggs
A nutritional powerhouse that can be prepared any way you want, scrambled eggs are delicious plain or with a handful of shredded cheese.
Ice Cream
Who doesn’t look forward to some cold and comforting ice cream after wisdom tooth removal?
Avacado
High in healthy fats and key vitamins that help with recovery, avocados are a smooth and creamy addition to your meals.
Smoothies
A simple way to get your vitamins and minerals when you can’t chew, smoothies are hydrating and packed with your favorite fruits and veggies.
Hummus
This protein-packed dip is made with chickpeas, tahini and garlic, and can be added to pastas, soups, or eaten on its own. (It is probably a good idea not to add any spices to it for now.)
Oatmeal
A warm and comforting bowl of oatmeal is a filling option to make the most of every bite.
Jello or Gelatin
A childhood favorite, Jello isn’t particularly nutritious – but it’s easy to eat.
Pudding
Opt for low- or no-sugar pudding – or make your own from avocado and cocoa powder – and enjoy guilt-free.
Noodles
Instant noodles in a warm broth are a hydrating and filling option.
Fish
Instant Flaky fish like salmon and sole are great sources of healthy fats and proteins and may help speed up recovery time.
Fruit Juice
When you’re tired of water, try a glass of freshly pressed fruit juice to kick up your hydration game while you’re recovering.
Seedless Watermelon
Cold on your gums, easy to chew, and hydrating – what’s not to love?
Cheesecake
A decadent treat, opt for a fluffy crustless Japanese-style cheesecake to avoid crumbs.
What Foods Shoud I Avoid After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
It’s not enough to know the foods you should eat; you also need to know what to avoid. To answer this question, let’s examine the foods you should avoid after a wisdom tooth removal:
How Long After Wisdom Teeth Removal Before I Can Resume Normal Easting?
The road to recovery after wisdom teeth removal is gradual, and you need to be patient with the process. Typically, it can take between two to eight weeks to go back to eating normally, depending on how deep the extractions were.
More importantly, give your teeth time to heal. As much as you want to get back to your usual eating habits, you shouldn’t rush back to eating normally. Instead, ease into your regular diet gradually and trust the process.
How to Take Care of Your Mouth After Wisdom Teeth Removal
The level of care you give to your teeth after your wisdom teeth are removed is important for your recovery. If you want to expedite the healing process for a return to normal, it’s important to adopt the best practices for oral care. Here are a few things you should keep in mind.
As much as possible, you should chew on the opposite side from where your wisdom tooth was removed. If teeth were removed from both sides of your mouth, you should chew very slowly and carefully while sticking to your diet. This reduces contact that causes discomfort, pain, and bleeding.
Take caution when brushing and flossing your teeth. While it’s essential to brush your teeth, you should do this gently and avoid touching the extraction area. Any careless contact can cause further injury, like dry sockets.
You should avoid smoking, as this reacts with your pain medication and can cause bleeding gums, slowing down your recovery process. Typically, you shouldn’t smoke for at least seven days, and be sure to speak with your doctor before you resume this activity.
If possible, take some time off of any intense exercises, as this can jostle your mouth and cause more swelling around the injury. Take a week off from intense exercise and try casual walks and simple stretches instead.
Bouncing back from wisdom teeth removal might appear overwhelming at first. You’ll need to make several temporary adjustments to your lifestyle to help your teeth heal faster.
If you’d like to learn more about wisdom teeth removal, check out our website for all the information you need to get prepared ahead of time.
