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What to Eat After Orthognathic Surgery

Oral Surgery

Anytime you have oral surgery, your diet is going to be impacted. However, people who undergo orthognathic surgery have even more restrictions than someone who is just getting his wisdom teeth out or is having more minor oral surgery. Thankfully, there are some terrifically tasty foods that you can enjoy for the first several weeks after your surgery.

But first, a word about orthognathic surgery. This procedure corrects structural issues in the face and jaw and have an impact on someone’s chewing, sleep or jaw fit. This surgery is preceded by braces. Recovery time for this procedure can take up to six weeks, during which time patients are only supposed to drink liquids and eat very soft foods.

Not eating enough nutritious foods will result in rapid weight loss, which will be regained almost instantly after recovery time. By eating well after surgery, patients can avoid devastating their bodies and can start to feel better sooner.

Liquids

The number one liquid to enjoy after surgery is water. Patients often complain that they aren’t thirsty or hungry for up to a day after surgery, but the sooner you start drinking, the sooner you will recover. You will want to stay away from acidic drinks soon after the surgery, so stick with water and apple juice. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to brush your teeth for a few days until after your surgery, so make sure to rinse out your mouth well after you consume anything.

Once you’ve started to recover, introduce soup into your diet. Tomato soup is a classic, but you might want to enjoy cream of tomato for extra nutrition. Vegetable soups and others with chunks should be sent through the blender first to ensure that they are smooth.

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Ensure and other nutrition drinks are perfect for the orthognathic surgery patient. These nutrient-rich beverages will give you vitamins that you might not otherwise get from other soft foods. I also recommend Pediasure, which is made for children but is pretty tasty for adults.

Most doctors recommend stocking up on frozen fruit and getting your blender out for smoothies. This is an excellent idea. Be sure to add a multivitamin before you hit blend to ensure that you’re getting enough in your diet. If you haven’t been eating enough protein, go ahead and add peanut butter to your banana or chocolate smoothie for a tasty, filling treat.

Soft Foods

Thankfully, there are a lot of nutritious soft foods for the orthognathic surgery patient. But before we get to those, let’s talk dessert. Ice cream is good, but you must be careful to choose varieties that don’t have any small pieces in them. You won’t be able to chew the chocolate chunks, and they might get stuck in your braces, where you will have difficulty cleaning them shortly after surgery. Smooth pudding is a good compromise if you hate vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

Mashed potatoes are good, but don’t include the skins. If you want, you can use boxed potatoes, but fresh mashed potatoes are much better for you. Thin applesauce is a good choice, as is yogurt without fruit pieces in it. I’m a big fan of Yoplait’s Thick and Creamy yogurt line because it’s very smooth and rich without being too high in calories and fat.

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Chances are, you won’t be able to handle meat for more than a month after surgery. You can get protein in by eating beans in chili or just plain. I really enjoyed “Mexican night” — a mixture of black beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese and salsa. I was able to eat this two weeks after surgery, and it was delicious.

If all else fails, pick up baby food. It’s smooth enough for you to eat, and it’s very healthy.