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Oral Surgery: Foods to Include and Avoid

When are having your wisdom tooth removed at Healthy Smiles of LaGrange, it’s important to follow a specific diet for one to two weeks afterwards to ensure adequate healing. Resuming your regular diet too quickly could cause complications that prolong the healing process. Although many people wonder what to eat after oral surgery, keep in mind that you don’t have to limit yourself to only a few different foods. You may become so tired of those foods that it will be difficult to eat them when you resume your regular diet.

Foods to Include and Avoid

Crunchy, spicy, or bulky food will be difficult for you to chew as your mouth heals from the extractions. You should also avoid foods that are overly acidic or require you to open your mouth extra wide to consume them. It’s best to stick to soft foods that are easy for you to digest. Some examples of foods that other patients have reported tolerable include:

Mashed potatoes
Soup
Fruit smoothies
Milkshakes
Instant pudding
Instant oatmeal
Overcooked pasta
Yogurt
Pancakes
Scrambled eggs
You may find that some foods that normally seem soft to you are difficult to chew after oral surgery, such as breaded fish or macaroni and cheese. If you start to eat something and it too painful to continue chewing, spit it out and try something else. Reducing the thickness of beverages and overcooking foods whenever possible helps to eliminate pain and possible injury to the mouth.

When to Resume Regular Eating

Although one to two weeks is a general guideline after wisdom teeth extraction, some patients can tolerate their normal diet sooner and some later. You will know when you are ready to make the switch when you can eat all soft foods comfortably for several consecutive days. As you’re recovering from oral surgery, be sure to pay attention to your vitamin intake so you don’t become malnourished. Remember that good oral care is essential for the healing process.

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