If you are having your wisdom teeth removed, your diet is probably going to change for a while. Whether the extraction is done at your dentist’s office or at the hospital, the outcome will be similar: there is going to be at least one big, gaping whole in your jaw, a potential hiding spot for pesky foods. To ensure proper healing, extraction sites must be kept clean. The foods you choose to eat during your healing period have a significant effect on this.
It’s easy enough to find foods that are easy to eat, but eating the same mushy food can be boring. I thought that I had a good variety of foods picked out, but after just a day, I was so tired of yogurt and soup that it wasn’t funny.
Go to the store the day before your appointment and stock up on foods. Try to get foods that cover different food groups and different tastes. (Try to get foods that are sweet, savory, salty, sour, etc.) This will help beat any urges you have. After a day full of apple sauce, pudding and fruit juice, you might just want something salty. If you don’t have that, you might be more apt to cheat a little.
For at least the first day, choose foods that don’t require chewing. Liquids or even “melt in your mouth” foods are your best options here. After a while, you can start choosing softer foods, but avoid things that can shatter into a ton of little, pain inflicting fragments (think potato chips).
Here are some food ideas to get you started. I tried to include a variety of flavors. Be sure to get a few of your favorite foods to keep things from getting boring.
The first days:
Soup or broth-This is the obvious go-to food. Most of the foods so far have been sugary and sweet, so some savory foods are definitely needed. There are a lot of different varieties, including vegetarian options. Plus, chicken soup is just the thing when you’re feeling down. Make sure you let your soup cool before you enjoy it. Warm can be comforting, hot can be painful.
Pudding and Flan-Who doesn’t like a nice, soft cup or bowl of pudding? Yes, it can get boring after a while, but there are so many potential flavors that you can have a different pudding every day. A jiggly flan is good, too! You can purchase either pre-made or in partial kits or you can certainly make them from scratch.
And as a bonus, if you have to take those yucky little pills that melt before you have a chance to swallow them, you can hide them in a spoonful of pudding!
Apple sauce or other soft fruit products-Fruit is a great way to get some fiber in your temporary diet. Apples, bananas and blueberries are good for you and they are yummy, but they may not be easy to chew right off. You can find these in a mushy sauce form at your local grocery store or you can make a fruit smoothie in the blender. (Remember not to drink through a straw as this might dislodge the clot.)
Fruit or vegetable juice-Juices are probably an obvious idea when you’re choosing your liquid diet. They’re a great alternative to fizzy soda, and since there are so many options, these unique tastes that can help break up a boring diet. I drink tomato juice like a fiend when I can get it. One day I was craving something salty, but of course no chips or pretzels for me. A big glass of tomato juice and a shake of salt really hit the spot.
Sherbet or ice cream-A bowl of ice cream or sherbet will hit the spot, and the coolness will make your mouth feel much better! Be sure to avoid ice cream with bits, such as cookie crumbles and mint chips, as these will get stuck in your mouth and can cause some pain.
Nutrition shakes–If you need to supplement your diet, try a meal replacing shake. Most Slim-Fast and Ensure drinks contain vitamins, minerals, and protein and they don’t taste terrible.
Mashed potatoes-Once again, here’s an alternative to sweet stuff. You can even keep some of your normal potato toppings, such as butter, melted cheese, chives or sour cream, (personally, it’s Italian dressing for me!) so this meal has the potential to be flavorful and down-right enjoyable. Skip small, crunchy toppings like bacon pieces to avoid issues.
Yogurt-Yogurt comes in many varieties, the most popular in the United States are typically super sweet and fruity. Fruit flavored yogurt is fine, but be careful about fruit pieces. Personally, I ate strawberry yogurt with fruit pieces and didn’t have any issues, but everyone is different.
After you start healing:
Solid foods are alright, but be sure you keep eating soft stuff! It’s much easier to find foods in this category, but here are a few examples:
Macaroni and cheese/Pasta-It’s so good to get a little variety back into your diet! Mac and cheese or well-cooked pasta are tasty and easy to chew.
Scrambled eggs-Scrambled eggs will help provide protein to your diet. As mentioned above, make sure to leave out small bits.
Pancakes-Pancakes aren’t very exciting on their own, but try being creative! Add a warm (strained) fruit sauce on top or mix up your recipe (try an apple cinnamon or peanut butter pancake.)
Remember!
Avoid foods with tiny seeds or “bits.”
Avoid crunchy foods.
Sometimes even soft foods can get stuck. Don’t jab at your cavity with a toothpick. When you’re on painkillers, a little hunk of healing flesh can look an awful lot like a pesky piece of kielbasa.
Be careful about hot and cold. You may be more sensitive now than you were previously.
Keep drinking water!
Always listen to your doctor’s instructions!
