Undergoing a tooth extraction is a common procedure, and ensuring a smooth recovery requires careful attention to what you eat. Choosing the right foods is crucial for a smooth healing journey. If you’re having a tooth extracted, you may be wondering what you can eat after your extraction. After a tooth extraction, your mouth needs time to heal. The site where the tooth was removed is delicate and susceptible to irritation or infection. Knowing what to eat after tooth extraction helps prevent irritation and supports healing.
Initial Recovery (0-2 Days): Focus on Liquids and No-Chew Foods
Immediately after the surgery, focus on soft foods that provide energy and essential nutrients while being gentle on your mouth. After your appointment, you can eat as soon as your mouth no longer feels numb. We don’t recommend eating when your mouth is numb, since you could bite yourself accidentally or burn yourself with hot food. In general, you’ll want to stick to foods that require no chewing, or liquid foods if at all possible. Your mouth will likely be tender and stiff during this time, so this is the easiest way to get the nutrition you need as you recover.
Recommended Foods:
- Jello and pudding: These are easy to swallow and require no chewing.
- Smoothies and milkshakes: Protein shakes and smoothies made with milk or juice and some protein powder can provide nutrition.
- Ice cream: A soothing and comforting option. Regular ice cream, or banana ice cream
- Yogurt (no crunchy bits or toppings): Provides protein and is easy to consume.
- Liquid soups: Easy to eat, hydrating, and rich in nutrients like tomato soup or potato soup
- Broth: Filled with minerals and essential vitamins to help you recover.
- Soft scrambled eggs: A great source of protein and very easy to chew.
- Applesauce: A gentle and nutritious option.
Important Reminder: Make sure you avoid using a straw during the first two days after your extraction. Straws can dislodge the blood clot in your extraction site, causing a painful complication called “dry socket.” Also, immediately following surgery no hot foods should be consumed as your face will still be numb and you may burn yourself.
Mid-Recovery (2-5 Days): Reintroducing Soft Foods
After a few days, you’ll be able to eat foods that require a bit more chewing. You can continue to eat liquid foods and foods that require no chewing, but you can also introduce foods that require a bit more chewing. At this point in time you will likely be starting to feel ready to test out your mouth on some different foods. Depending on how easily your teeth came out will depend on how easy eating harder foods will go.
Foods to Consider:
- Soft bread: Easy to chew and swallow.
- Chicken: Opt for shredded or finely chopped chicken.
- Ground meats: These are easier to manage than tougher cuts of meat.
- Cheese: Soft cheeses are a good source of protein.
- Soups with chunks of meat and vegetables: Provides more substance than purely liquid soups.
- Pasta and mac and cheese: Soft and easy to eat.
- Rice: Cooked until soft and fluffy.
- Mashed potatoes: Comforting and easy to eat. Soft, mashed potatoes are comforting and easy to eat.
- Pancakes and waffles: Soft and easy to chew.
- Bananas: A soft and nutritious fruit.
Expanding Your Diet (5-14 Days): Proceed with Caution
Every patient recovers differently. After about five days, you can begin expanding your diet and eating some harder foods, including veggies such as apples and carrots and tougher cuts of meat, such as steak and pork. However, use your best judgment and listen to your mouth. If it hurts or is uncomfortable to eat a certain food, you should continue to avoid it.
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Guidelines:
- Gradual Introduction: When you start eating firmer foods, do so gradually.
- Listen to Your Body: If it hurts or is uncomfortable to eat a certain food, you should continue to avoid it.
- Continue to Avoid: Really, hard, sharp, and crunchy foods for at least a week. Early on, sharp and crunchy foods like tortilla chips can damage your extraction site. And, even once it’s started to heal, shards of food can still poke and irritate the area. You can start trying to eat these foods between 7-14 days after your surgery.
- Soft-Cooked Vegetables: With time, slowly move toward slightly firmer textures like soft-cooked vegetables
- Tender Chicken: With time, slowly move toward slightly firmer textures like tender chicken
- Chew Carefully: Listen to your body, chew carefully, and stop if you feel discomfort.
Foods to Avoid During Recovery
Certain foods can make recovery more difficult. Hard, crunchy, or sticky foods may damage the extraction site or dislodge the blood clot, increasing the risk of dry socket. Acidic or spicy foods can cause discomfort and slow down healing. For the first several days, the extraction site will be vulnerable to infection. You will want to avoid foods that could inflame the area or cause complications.
Foods to Avoid:
- Hard foods: Can damage the extraction site or disrupt the healing of blood clots.
- Sticky foods: Can adhere to the extraction site and complicate the healing process.
- Spicy foods: Can really irritate the extraction site and increase pain. Acidic or spicy foods (pepper, citrus juice)
- Crunchy foods: Can cause discomfort and may damage the healing area. Crunchy, tough, or crumbly foods (hamburgers, jerky, popcorn, pizza, etc.)
- Seeds: Could get stuck in the wound and disrupt healing.
- Grains: Could get stuck in the wound and disrupt healing. (quinoa, rice)
- Popcorn: You might love snacking on these foods but, you should avoid eating them until you have made a full recovery because they could get stuck in the wound and disrupt healing.
- Nuts: You might love snacking on these foods but, you should avoid eating them until you have made a full recovery because they could get stuck in the wound and disrupt healing.
- Chips: You might love snacking on these foods but, you should avoid eating them until you have made a full recovery because they could get stuck in the wound and disrupt healing.
- Alcohol: You will want to avoid foods that could inflame the area or cause complications, such as: Alcohol
Eating Techniques and Oral Care
To eat comfortably and safely after a tooth extraction, use gentle chewing methods. Avoid biting down too hard, and try to chew from the opposite side of the extraction site. Keeping the extraction site totally clean is crucial for preventing infection. While eating soft foods, continue to follow your dentist’s instructions for oral hygiene.
- Gentle Chewing: Avoid biting down too hard, and try to chew from the opposite side of the extraction site.
- Oral Hygiene: Keeping the extraction site totally clean is crucial for preventing infection. While eating soft foods, continue to follow your dentist’s instructions for oral hygiene.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water to help flush out toxins and keep your mouth moist. Staying hydrated is an essential part of the recovery process. Drinking huge amount of fluids helps keep your body hydrated and supports overall healing.
- Temperature Considerations: Choosing foods at moderate temperatures helps prevent irritation.
- Portion Size: Eating smaller portions can help make the process easier and more comfortable.
- Texture: Soft foods that have a uniform texture are best.
General Timeline for Returning to Normal Foods
Often, patients find that they can start eating normal foods again about a week after having their teeth removed. The general timeframe for returning to regular foods can vary. Look for signs that the extraction site is healing before resuming normal eating.
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