It’s normal to feel sour after the removal of wisdom teeth. After the procedure, you can’t eat all sorts of food. Some foods after wisdom teeth removal relieve the pain and make you feel full.
Experts recommend eating bitter fruits like yogurt, ice cream, soups, and other soft foods that make your life much easier. Wisdom teeth are generally known as the third molars that emerge from the back of the gums. It’s optional to remove them once they start causing issues.
Due to the tiny space at the back of the mouth, they emerge at odd angles, or only a tiny part arises. Such impacted wisdom teeth can cause many issues and become hard to clean. To avoid such problems, people prefer removing them.
After removing wisdom teeth, it’s vital to have the right nutrition for proper healing. In this article, I will mention the details of the 20 foods to eat after wisdom teeth removal for appropriate recovery.
20 Best Foods to eat after wisdom teeth removal
1. Soup and Broth
Stock up on a few cans of your favorite soup. It can be tomato basil, chicken noodle, tomato basil, or maybe potatoes. Canned soups are generally soft, and you can quickly drink them. Make sure to sip them down and not overheat them.
2. Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is a nutritious and high-protein food that you can enjoy after wisdom removal surgery. It has a smooth yet creamy texture that helps you to soothe and numb your mouth. It contains minerals, protein, calcium, vitamins, and zinc. High-protein fruits can also help in the recovery process.
According to the studies, a sufficient intake of zinc benefits wound healing. However, if you are already taking plenty of zinc, taking additional will give o benefit you. After wisdom teeth removal, many zinc-rich foods like meat and steak are challenging to eat. In such cases, greek yogurt is the best alternative.
3. Mashed potatoes
Potatoes are root vegetables that can be eaten in many forms. Mashed potatoes are one of the soothing food to have after removing wisdom teeth. They are rich in nutrients and calories and benefit the healing process. It’s essential to have proper nutrients due to the high energy requirement after eating.
Mashed potatoes provide a lot of nutrients and fulfill the energy requirements in just a few bites. It’s especially great when you need more food. Ensure you have lukewarm potatoes, as hot foods irritate the wound site.
4. Eggs
Scrambled, hard-boiled, cooked, and over-easy eggs are perfect for craving protein after wisdom teeth removal. They are easy to cook and healthy to add to the diet. If you are hungry, add them to your oatmeal or grits.
5. Apple sauce
Apples have a hard texture, so having them after teeth removal isn’t a good idea. Eating apple sauce is the easiest way to increase food intake without irritation. However, the apple sauce is generally made up of pureed, cored, skinless apples. The skin has many minerals, vitamins, and fibers, so they don’t have the same nutritional content as the apple.
Nevertheless, a skinless apple is a good source of vitamins like vitamin C. It can also help boost the immune system, which allows for the wound-healing process.
6. Avocado
The sliced avocado is healthy and filling. You can slice them and enjoy them with some pepper and salt. You can add them to your smoothie. So enjoy the avocados at the time of your wisdom tooth removal surgery without fear.
7. Mashed bananas
Bananas are among the most popular fruits in the world. Their soft texture makes them easy to swallow after surgery. Besides, they are rich in nutrients and have many different types of minerals, vitamins, potassium, manganese, and folate.
Mashing your banana can soften its texture even more, reducing its discomfort risk.
8. Smoothies
Do you have a blender at home? Toss some yogurt, fresh berries, bananas, avocado, protein powder, or whatever you like. You can also add ice cream to them. As long as you are not having it with a straw, it can fill your stomach and give a soothing effect to your mouth.
The test depends upon how healthy you want to have it! Don’t use straws, and avoid getting a dry socket.
9. Hummus
Humus is a famous dip in middle eastern cuisine that has become popular worldwide. It’s a great source of healthy fats, minerals, proteins, and vitamins. Humus is an excellent food to eat after wisdom teeth removal.
You can make hummus at home by blending garlic, chickpeas, olive oil, lemon, garlic, tahini, and a food processor. You can also buy premade hummus from supermarkets. But unfortunately you can’t enjoy the hummus with the pita bread or chips as they have a crunch that can affect the wound. But still, it’s delicious to eat by itself.
10. Oatmeal
You can trick yourself into chewing by having your favorite instant oatmeal with your favorite flavor. We sometimes see nuts and large pieces of the dried fruits in certain oatmeal flavors.
Grits and malt-o-meal can be great alternatives if you prefer something other than oatmeal.
11. Grounded beef
Want to move on to the meatier meals? Then start with the ground beef, as it’s smaller and more accessible to bite than the hamburger and a steak. Before cooking the ground beef, wait a few days for the post-wisdom tooth removal.
12. Beans
Another excellent substitute for meat loaded with proteins is beans. They are safe to eat after wisdom teeth removal, especially when you want something delicious and filling.
Besides, there is a great variety of beans to select from.
13. Cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is low in calories and packed with essential minerals and vitamins. It’s soft and creamy, making it easy to chew and swallow while recovering from the surgery. In addition, cottage cheese is rich in protein that helps in the recovery period.
You can easily add it to your diet. You can have it with scrambled eggs or add them to your smoothies.
14. Quinoa
Quinoa, besides a bit of feta cheese, is a delicious meal. You can cook it with some other seasonings depending on the different types of food you want to eat. Serve it cool or warm as you like. With time you can slowly move onto the firm food textures. Mix the leftovers with the ripe diced tomatoes and another seasoning for extra zing.
15. Mashed pumpkin
Mashed pumpkin is among the best foods to eat after wisdom teeth removal. Most people call them a vegetable, but it’s a fruit. The mushy texture of the mashed pumpkin makes it easy to chew, and you can swallow it without irritation.
Pumpkin is rich in vitamins A, C, and E. minerals like potassium. These vitamins help in benefiting the immunity that, in turn, helps the body to recover from wisdom teeth removal.
However, let the pumpkin cool down not to affect the wound.
16. Protein shakes
If you need lots of nutrients but don’t have the stomach to chew on anything, go for protein shakes. Protein shakes are an excellent meal replacement for making your own or buying premixed shakes from pharmacies.
Pop the protein shake in a blender with avocado or banana to make it thick like a milkshake. Protein is also filling, so it can help you feel full when skipping your meals.
17. Salmon
Salmon is the healthiest fish you can eat while removing your wisdom teeth. Due to its softness and easy-to-eat texture, you can easily have it after any dental surgery. Salmon is rich in protein and other healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids.
These are the healthy fats that benefit in decreasing swelling and benefits wound healing. It’s beneficial if you have low omega-3 fatty acids. Though inflammation is a part of the healing process, excess inflammation can affect recovery.
18. Soft cheese
When you have a sore mouth after the surgery, you can have soft cheese like cottage cheese. It’s a healthier choice if you are eating ice cream or pudding. Some other cheese types include brie, feta, gorgonzola, and ricotta.
19. Tofu
Tofu is an excellent food to eat after wisdom teeth removal. It is available in different textures, so you can have it in a mild form. You can also saute it with soy sauce or olive oil. You can also stir fry with stream carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Be sure to boil them to become as smooth as the mashed banana.
20. Couscous
Cousans are another preferred food to eat after wisdom teeth removal. If you want to change your taste pallets, then couscous can be a great alternative to quinoa.
Foods to avoid after wisdom teeth removal
When healing after the dental surgery, having hard food and other hot drinks would be harmful. Here is a small list of foods to avoid after wisdom teeth removal.
- Spicy foods
- Nuts
- Alcohol
- Hot drinks
- Sharp or hard food like popcorn or chips
- Fruit juices and acidic substances can irritate the surgery site or wound. Foods with spices, remnants, and fruits with seeds often get stuck in the wound.
People should avoid using straws or drinking beverages as the suction can dislodge the blood clot that results in a dry socket. It can intensify the throbbing pain in the gum and jaw.
If you crave a hot beverage, go for the lukewarm chamomile tea.
How long should you wait to eat before the wisdom tooth removal?
Your dentist will provide you with the guidelines and some essential pre-operative measures. One main thing is not to eat or drink at least 8 hours before the surgery. It will also depend upon the type of anesthesia that you plan to use.
If you have an early morning schedule for the surgery, you must avoid eating anything after midnight. Check with your dentist to know if they have any specific pre-operation guidelines for you.
FAQ’s
How long to wait after the wisdom teeth removal?
After the surgery, you can eat whenever you want, but you must be careful of your food choices. In the first 24 hours after the wisdom teeth removal, you can only have the food you don’t need to chew—for instance, apple sauce or yogurt.
When to eat solid food after wisdom teeth removal?
Once you feel the pain is reducing, start having semi-solid foods that require a little chewing. You can have mashed potatoes, bananas, avocados, and scrambled eggs. You can have soft and semi-soft foods after 3 to 4 days. Let your pain level guide you on what to eat and avoid.
Can I have rice after the wisdom teeth removal?
After 3 to 7 days, your discomfort, pain, and irritation will fade. After a week, you can eat more solid foods but still have to avoid hard and crunchy food. Generally, people eat foods like rice and pasta within the initial day of wisdom teeth removal.
How long till you usually eat after the wisdom teeth removal?
After seven days, you can slowly return to your regular daily diet. Still, the doctor recommends avoiding eating hard and crunchy food for a few more days. Stitches generally dissolve and fall within a week. So you shouldn’t worry about getting them removed.
Can I drink milk after my tooth extraction?
If you had sedation for the procedure, try avoiding the milk products like yogurt or fruit shakes. Milk products after the sedation can result in nausea and other related symptoms. You can enjoy other drinks to keep your body hydrated. Avoid using straws for the first week of wisdom teeth removal.
Conclusion
There are many nutritious yet soft foods to eat after wisdom tooth removal. It’s vital to have smooth textured yet healthy foods after dental surgery. These foods will help in the healing process and will prevent any sort of irritation.
After wisdom teeth removal, some excellent foods are bananas, salmon, smoothies, mashed potatoes, apple puree, broths, oatmeal, cooked pumpkin, ice cream, and soups.
If you will have your wisdom teeth removed soon, it’s best to stock some of your favorite items mentioned above.
References
https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/dental-care/eating-before-after-wisdom-teeth-removal
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-to-eat-after-wisdom-teeth-removal
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/wisdom-tooth-extraction/about/pac-20395268
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22119-wisdom-teeth-removal
