Managing Your Diet Following Wisdom Tooth Extractions

Wisdom tooth extraction is one of the most common dental surgeries performed, and for many patients, it sets up a lifetime of fewer oral health issues! But even though many people undergo this procedure, it still isn’t something that should be taken lightly—and your willingness to correctly follow your aftercare instructions is what will determine how smooth your recovery process is. One thing that poses a challenge for many patients following wisdom tooth extraction is eating and drinking without disrupting the healing process. Here’s some insight into how your body recovers from wisdom tooth extraction and a breakdown of what you should and shouldn’t eat while you recuperate.

Immediately Following Surgery

On the day of surgery, you will likely have a moderate amount of discomfort once you make it back home, and you might not be in the mood to eat. This can actually make it easier for you to avoid solid foods though, which works to your advantage! You should stick to liquids like broths and soups, juices, and plenty of water. However, it’s crucial that you don’t use a drinking straw, as the suction can disrupt the blood clots covering your surgical sites and cause painful dry sockets that also delay your healing! Also be careful not to swish liquids aggressively around your mouth as you drink, as this motion can also disrupt your blood clots.

The First Week After Surgery

Two or so days after surgery, you can begin implementing soft foods back into your diet. You will still want to avoid anything hard, but you can enjoy things with some substance including yogurt, pudding, Jell-O, oatmeal, heartier soups, and boiled or mashed vegetables and fruits. If possible, avoid letting the food sit on the incision sites, as they will likely still be quite sensitive, and the blood clots can still be disrupted. Also avoid overly hot or cold items that can trigger further discomfort.

One Week Post-Surgery and Beyond

Once you reach one-week post-surgery, you should be okay to begin returning to a normal diet with solid foods. However, you should still be careful when reintroducing crunchy foods like chips, crackers, granola bars, and more. It is recommended that you continue to ease back into solid foods. You can start off with things like pasta, rice, eggs, and finely cut meats. Ultimately, it’ll depend on the healing progress of your surgical sites—but you should prioritize protecting them, rather than indulging in your cravings!

It might seem difficult to stick with a specialized diet following wisdom tooth extraction, but by doing so, you’re giving your mouth the chance to heal quickly and without complications. Given how painful a dry socket can be, simply forgoing solid food for a week is a pretty good tradeoff!

About the Author

Dr. Hiren H. Shah has proudly served the dental needs of the Edison community for several years. Dr. Shah received his dental doctorate from NYU and is a member of the American Dental Association and the New Jersey Dental Association. If you have any questions about wisdom tooth extraction or would like to arrange a visit, you can contact Dr. Shah through his practice’s website or over the phone: (908) 834-8448.