When and What to Eat After Tooth Extraction?
Even though tooth extraction is a safe procedure, aftercare plays a vital role in successful healing. And food plays an important role in aftercare. You need to know when, what, and how you should eat after getting a tooth removed to make sure you do not do something that hinders or delays the healing or, worse, leads to complications. While your periodontist will provide you detailed guidelines on when you can start eating after tooth extraction and what should you eat, here are some essential food-related care tips to help you avoid any issues:
When Can You Eat After Tooth Extraction?
Typically, you can start consuming foods within a few hours of the surgery.
What to Eat After Tooth Extraction?
First 24 Hours
Ideally, you should avoid eating anything that requires chewing within the first 24 hours of tooth extraction surgery. Try to stick to liquids only. However, if they do not fill your stomach and you want to eat solid food, opt for soft foods requiring very little chewing, such as pudding or porridge.
Another thing that you need to be highly careful about is not to use a straw. It may seem like a more convenient way of consuming your liquid food, but the suction caused by drinking via a straw can dislodge the blood clot in your wound, leading to bleeding, pain, and delayed healing.
After 24 Hours
You can begin to eat soft foods that require little chewing. However, be careful not to chew from the side the tooth was extracted from.
Do not eat hot foods for the first few days after the extraction. Heat increases the blood flow to the wound and can dislodge the clot. Also, avoid consuming alcohol for at least two days after the surgery as it may delay healing by interacting with your medications.
Two Weeks
Avoid chewing from the extraction site for about two weeks following the procedure to disrupt and delay the healing process. While you can begin to eat your usual foods after three days, avoid very hot, spicy, acidic, sticky, and crunchy foods until your gum and jawbone is fully healed.
Get More Aftercare Tips From MK Perio in Tacoma
These are some essential food-related aftercare tips you need to follow to ensure quick and smooth healing after tooth extraction. If you are looking for a reliable periodontist to get your tooth extracted or have developed some complications after extraction, get in touch with Dr. Karbakhsch or Dr. Katafuchi at MK Periodontics and Implants – two of the most experienced and reliable periodontists in Washington.
Click here to schedule an appointment or dial (253) 752-6336 for our Tacoma office.
Dental care aims to keep teeth as healthy as possible, but some situations call for dental implants. Dental implants are a popular way to restore teeth, but because the process requires surgery on the teeth and gums, patients must alter their diet for a time to allow their mouths to heal, which usually means eating mostly soft foods after dental implant surgery. Copperas Cove, TX residents who think they could benefit from dental implant surgery should contact the team at ACE Dental of Cove to schedule an evaluation.
What does dental implant surgery do?
Dental implants are designed to mimic the structure of teeth, and dental implant surgery involves implanting a metal post into your jaw, which is topped with an artificial tooth. The dental implant process can take months, as it may involve multiple procedures, including tooth extraction, bone grafting, implant placement, bone growth, and more. If your jaws and gums aren’t able to heal properly between steps, it could impact the success of your dental implant and extend the overall timeline.
The procedures involved in dental implant surgery tend to cause pain, bruising, and swelling, and they will affect your ability to chew. We recommend that post-surgical patients in Copperas Cove, TX eat soft foods for at least 10 – 14 days following dental implant surgery. As we mentioned, dental implant surgery often involves multiple steps, so a soft-food diet will likely need to be repeated after each individual procedure. The dental professionals at ACE Dental of Cove will provide detailed instructions.
What are the best foods to eat after dental implant surgery?
The first day or two after surgery, you may be experiencing pain and swelling, and may not feel much like eating. But it’s important to consume nutrients so you can heal properly. During the first couple of days, we recommend a liquid diet, such as protein drinks, smoothies, broth, or soup without chunks. After the initial discomfort has subsided, you can begin introducing solid, soft foods, like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, bananas, mashed potatoes, meatloaf, pasta, or rice. Plan to continue eating a soft food diet for about 10 – 14 days.
What foods should I avoid after dental implant surgery?
We recommend avoiding certain foods for a couple of weeks or more, depending on how your mouth feels. Stay away from things like raw vegetables, foods that are hard, chewy, or sticky, and food and beverages that are extremely hot or cold. Acidic foods are also risky because they can cause dental erosion, so any fruits you’re eating should be low in acid content. For most people, that means avoiding citrus fruits, like oranges.
Schedule your dental implant surgery consultation today
Once a tooth has been damaged beyond repair, no oral health regimen will be enough to restore it. In many of those cases, dental implant surgery is the best option. Our team of professionals at ACE Dental of Cove can help you understand your options and select the one that’s best for you. We can schedule your Copperas Cove, TX dental surgery at a time that’s convenient for you, as we’re open on Saturdays.
* All information subject to change. Images may contain models. Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary.