What to eat after wisdom teeth extraction

Wisdom teeth are molars, located all the way in the back of your mouth, and they usually begin to emerge at early adulthood. Many people undergo wisdom teeth extraction surgery, for a variety of reasons. Your dentist and oral surgeon will explain the reasons for your procedure, and you’ll discuss whether local or general anesthesia is recommended for you. Your oral surgeon may need to make incisions in gum tissue and/or bone in order to gain access to your wisdom teeth. These incisions are cleaned and stitched after surgery, usually with stitches that will dissolve within a couple of weeks. The surgeon may also pack your surgical site with gauze.

It’s very important not to irritate the surgery site during healing, to prevent infection and to expedite healing. Eating soft foods is the best way to avoid irritating the surgery site. You should also avoid certain foods that might get stuck  in the surgery site, like sesame seeds or other small nuts or seeds. Your doctor will give you thorough instructions on what to eat, and what to avoid, after your surgery. As a general guideline, shortly after your surgery, you’ll want to avoid chewing, which means sticking to soft foods and liquids. Some good ideas are smoothies, broths, blended soups, mashed potatoes, pudding, ice cream, apple sauce, and yogurt. Some people find that cold foods, like ice cream or gelatin, are soothing to the surgery sites. It’s also important to maintain a healthy diet to promote healing, so think about preparing pureed vegetable soups or smoothies containing lots of fruits. Be careful with strawberries, however, as the tiny seeds might get stuck in the surgery sites. Once you’ve begun healing, try to incorporate soft foods like oatmeal or scrambled eggs, before returning to your regular diet. If you feel discomfort chewing, return to softer foods for a day or two. Most people resume their regular diets within about a week.

Once you’re comfortable eating solid food, it’s still important to remember that your surgery site is healing, so wait until the site has fully healed, usually a few weeks, to reintroduce acidic or spicy foods, alcohol, grains and seeds, or hard foods that are difficult to chew. Avoid using tobacco for at least 72 hours after your procedure, and don’t use chewing tobacco. If you disturb the blood clot at your surgery site, you may end up with a dry socket, which can be painful and unpleasant. Be sure to contact your surgeon if you notice a foul smell coming from your surgery site, or an intense throbbing pain in the jaw or gums, as these symptoms may indicate a dry socket. You should also watch out for infection, which can arise if food particles or bacteria fall into the surgery wound. Symptoms include fever, chills, blood or pus at the surgery site, and spasms of the jaw. These infections may be prevented by observing the post-surgery care guidelines provided by your dentist. On very rare occasions, nerve damage may occur. This nerve damage is usually temporary and may cause pain or numbness. Some patients also experience an allergic reaction to medication following surgery. Seek immediate medical care if allergy symptoms are present.

More on Wisdom Tooth Extraction : Complication with Wisdom Teeth Extraction