What Should You Eat and Avoid After a Tooth Extraction?

A dental extraction is a major procedure. Hence, you need to be careful about your oral activities during aftercare to recover well. One of these is eating the right foods the proper way. After tooth extraction, foods you eat can impact the treated site. So, you must ensure that the effects are good and healthy to improve recovery. Hence, it’s important to consult with your dentist about the foods to pick or avoid and the reasons for doing so. The professional will guide you closely to follow the diet that is best for quick recovery and wound healing. All you need to do is to follow his/her instructions carefully, whether about dietary choice or other aspects of aftercare. As a result, you will soon enjoy the fruits of a temporary period of certain restrictions. Below is everything about the foods to eat or avoid after a tooth extraction procedure.

Table of Contents :-

Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye:

1. Tooth Extraction: What to eat for better Recovery
2. How to eat after Tooth Extraction?
3. What foods should you avoid?

Take Away

1. After Tooth Extraction: What to Eat For Better Recovery :-

After tooth extraction, eat soft foods and cool liquids for at least 24 hours. Being cool, they can soothe any swelling. Being soft, they’re ready-to-gulp. Slowly switch to easy-to-chew foods and then a normal diet as you feel more comfortable. After tooth extraction, foods to eat for better healing are below:

For 24 hours after tooth extraction: Foods to Eat :-

• Cup ice cream :- Have ice cream if your teeth aren’t sensitive. Choose cup ice cream over cones or those with chewy or crunchy toppings. The softness ensures no chewing. The cool cream minimises any swelling.

• Greek yoghurt :- Soft to eat, it also provides calcium, iodine, probiotics, B vitamins, protein and zinc. The last two nutrients especially help with wound healing.  

• Smoothies :- They’re both soft and nutritious. Use berries to get antioxidants for boosting immunity and reducing inflammation. Add peanut butter or protein powder to boost recovery. Use leafy greens to receive Vitamin C for wound healing. They also provide provitamin A, magnesium and folate to boost immunity and recovery.

After 1 day of tooth extraction: Foods to Eat

• Mashed potatoes :- Soft and not sticking to gums, they supply carbohydrates to make up for low energy levels after treatment.

• Broth-based and blended soups :- Have lukewarm soups. Bone broth gives minerals and vitamins for better recovery, and sometimes, anti-inflammatory benefits to heal wounds. Home-made vegetable-based soup provides all benefits of whole veggies while being smooth.

• Eggs :- Consume easy-to-eat soft-boiled, poached or scrambled eggs. They provide proteins, vitamins and minerals to boost recovery.

2. How to Eat After Tooth Extraction?

How you eat food after a tooth extraction procedure is as important as what you eat. This is because, if your eating approach is wrong and, for example, puts stress on the treated area, the site may take longer to recover. So here are the right ways to eat after treatment:

• Puree or mash any solid foods so that you need not chew them much or at all. Do this for at least 24 hours after surgery or more if it pains to chew thereafter.

• If you have to chew at all, do it on the dental side opposite to that of the treated area to minimise any pressure on the latter.

• Since you have to drink more fluids than solids initially after surgery, you may feel like using a straw. But don’t. As you suck a straw, the blood clot may be dislodged under pressure. This can extend recovery.

3. What Foods Should You Avoid?

After oral surgery, not only hard and chewy foods but also those acidic or full of spice, sugar can delay recovery. So, after tooth extraction, foods to avoid are as follows:

• Alcoholic beverages :- Don’t have them within at least 24 hours of surgery. If you’re taking pain medicines, avoid alcohol as long as the medication continues.

• Brittle, chewy or crunchy snacks :- Avoid popcorn, nuts and chips during recovery. They have to be chewed well and might break off to stick to the healing sites and rot. This can cause pain, irritation and infection. The high sodium content in them can also disturb healing gums.

• Acidic or spicy foods :- After dental extraction, gums and teeth can be vulnerable to sensation. Hence, avoid acidic and spicy foods that can cause considerable irritation and pain.

• Most meats :-  Meats need extensive chewing. Hence, while recovering from dental extraction, avoid pork, beef, fish and poultry altogether. Even if you cut meat into small pieces, they still have to be chewed a lot. Avoid thinking that if you chop up meat enough to swallow it. This can risk a major choking hazard. Therefore, wait until the mouth recovers completely before you try your favourite meat dishes.

Take Away

At Dr.Sahni’s Dental Clinic, we will discuss the tooth extraction procedure and aftercare in detail. You may require this treatment if a wisdom tooth needs removal or you have tooth decay, dental infection, teeth crowding or a periodontal disease like gingivitis (gum problem). The procedure also helps to treat teeth that have been impacted after an accident. Whatever is the reason for your dental concern, we can treat it effectively and safely. This is ensured by our friendly experts, little to no wait time, advanced and comprehensive consultation, high-quality materials, digital 3D X-Ray, high-quality materials, modern equipment, guaranteed satisfaction, and more.