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Adjusting the diet after wisdom tooth extraction, what to avoid and what to eat is an important factor to help patients reduce pain and discomfort, and help the wound heal faster. Understanding this, Elite Dental will help you with guidelines on dietary considerations so that the recovery process after wisdom tooth extraction goes smoothly and limits complications after minor surgery.
1. After wisdom tooth extraction, what should you avoid to recover quickly?
Building a suitable diet after wisdom tooth extraction plays an important role. Because at this time, the tooth extraction site is still very sensitive. Adjusting the menu appropriately will help reduce the impact on wound treatment, while also supporting the wound healing process faster.
Below are foods that should not be eaten after wisdom tooth extraction:
1.1 Spicy and hot foods
With the question of what to avoid when after wisdom tooth extraction, the first answer is hot, spicy foods such as:
- Foods containing a lot of chili, garlic, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, galangal, etc.
- Hot soups, porridge.
Eating hot foods and spicy spices can increase the temperature of the oral cavity, dilate blood vessels, and stimulate pain in the damaged area. Furthermore, hot food also causes blood clots to dissolve, causing bleeding and serious infection.
1.2 Foods that are crunchy and crumble easily
What should you not eat if you just had your wisdom teeth removed? These are crunchy, fragile foods such as cookies, snacks, cereals, chips, nuts, etc. Because debris can slip through the gaps and fall into the extracted tooth socket area, causing infection in the wound.
1.3 Chewy, hard foods
Another answer to the question of what to avoid eating after wisdom teeth extraction includes chewy and hard foods such as bread, cakes made from sticky rice, chicken, steak, pizza…
The reason is that after tooth extraction, you may feel pain, and eating hard foods can make this feeling worse. Moreover, eating chewy or hard foods requires the jaw muscles to work hard and continuously for chewing. That can impact the wound, disrupt the blood clot, and disrupt the recovery process. Besides, these foods can collide with the wound area, causing bleeding and even wound infection.
1.4 Beer and wine
In addition to the foods mentioned above, beer and wine are also drinks that must be mentioned when discussing wisdom tooth extraction. These are drinks containing alcohol – the chemical name is ethanol (C2H5OH) which can interfere with the wound recovery process, and increase the risk of infection, leading to pain, swelling and inflammation in the tooth root area. Even the use of stimulants such as alcohol and beer can reduce the effectiveness of painkillers prescribed by doctors and cause other dangerous complications.
1.5 Sour and sweet foods
Say “no” to sour foods that contain a lot of acid such as lemon, tamarind, and grapefruit; or sweets (candy, soft drinks, chocolate…) if you are wondering what to avoid after wisdom tooth extraction. These foods, when consumed can cause wound swelling and prolong recovery time.
More explanation about dry socket (inflammation)
A dry socket (also known as post-extraction alveolitis or alveolar osteitis) is a common painful condition after permanent tooth extraction, such as wisdom tooth extraction. Wisdom tooth inflammation occurs when a blood clot fails to form at the tooth extraction site or dislodges or dissolves before the wound heals. This leaves the bones, muscles, tissues, and nerves below unprotected, leading to infection, bone exposure, and severe pain continuously for 1 – 3 days or longer.
This is a condition that easily occurs in people who regularly smoke or use birth control pills. If you suspect you have symptoms of a dry socket, you should meet a dentist for examination and advice on the appropriate treatment to end the severe pain caused by wisdom tooth inflammation.
View more: Top 9 Wisdom Tooth Extraction Tips not everyone knows
2. What to Eat After Wisdom Tooth Extraction?
Besides learning what to avoid after wisdom tooth extraction, you should also supplement appropriate foods to speed up the healing process and minimize potential complications.
According to expert advice, after wisdom tooth extraction, you should eat foods that are soft, refreshing, easy to chew and swallow, rich in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. So what should you eat after wisdom tooth extraction? Here are healthy foods that you should not ignore:
2.1 Foods that are soft and easy to swallow
In the first days after wisdom tooth extraction, chewing food is quite difficult. If you are wondering what to eat after having your wisdom teeth removed, you should use foods that are soft and easy to swallow such as porridge, soup, mashed potatoes, smoothies, oatmeal, etc. These foods not only ensure nutrition but also minimize jaw muscle activity, preventing swelling, pain, and bleeding at the wisdom tooth extraction site.
2.2 Cool food – cold
Using cold foods after 2 – 4 hours of surgery is the answer to the question of what to eat after wisdom teeth extraction to reduce swelling and pain. Cold foods can help constrict blood vessels to help stop bleeding and effectively relieve pain. But it should be noted that when eating ice cream, you should choose grain-free ice cream to avoid too much jaw muscle movement and limit food debris getting stuck at the extraction site.
2.3 Yogurt
Using yogurt for snacks is a good choice after wisdom tooth extraction. Yogurt contains many nutritional ingredients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals that help increase resistance, provide probiotics, and fight the attack of harmful bacteria at the tooth extraction site. In particular, probiotic compounds found in yogurt can help reduce symptoms of diarrhea, and dizziness, and limit the side effects of antibiotics after wisdom tooth extraction surgery.
2.4 Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are one of the foods to eat after wisdom teeth removal, helping to supplement the body with abundant vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Thereby helping to strengthen the immune system, compensate for lost energy when dietary restrictions, and promote the wound-healing process.
You can blend it to make soft dishes or nutritious drinks from green vegetables and fruits to suit your taste, both to help your appetite and avoid having to chew too much.
2.5 Cheese
What should you eat if you have wisdom teeth removed to heal quickly? Cheese is one of the ideal foods you should supplement. With low-calorie content and abundant vitamins, proteins, and minerals, cheese helps provide essential nutrients for the body and supports the recovery process after minor wisdom tooth surgery. In addition, cheese is also very soft, making it easier for you to chew and swallow, limiting the impact on the swollen and painful area after tooth extraction.
To increase your appetite, in addition to eating it directly, you can also creatively transform cheese into attractive dishes such as cheese sponge cake, cheese potato soup, cheese smoothie,…
2.6 Eggs
Eggs are a familiar dish at every family meal. Not only that, eggs are also one of the foods that should be eaten after wisdom teeth extraction. With a rich source of vitamins, proteins, minerals, etc., eggs help provide nutrition for the body during the period of abstinence after wisdom tooth surgery. You can prepare a variety of dishes from eggs such as fried eggs, boiled eggs, and steamed eggs, or combine them with other ingredients to make delicious, soft egg cakes. Therefore, if you are wondering what to eat after wisdom tooth extraction, eggs will be a good suggestion for you.
View more: Does Wisdom Tooth Extraction hurt? Explore pain-free techniques
3. Some other notes after wisdom tooth extraction
In addition to a scientific diet, you should also note the following things to avoid after wisdom tooth extraction to speed up the recovery process:
- Immediately after wisdom tooth extraction, you need to sit in place and bite gauze for about 30 – 45 minutes.
- Rest for 1-2 days, avoid strenuous exercise, especially in cases of anesthesia.
- Use pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs as directed by your doctor.
- Apply a cold compress in the first 24 hours after wisdom tooth extraction to stop bleeding and reduce swelling and pain.
- One day after wisdom tooth extraction, you should only use low-concentration physiological saline or antiseptic water with chlorhexidine. From the second day after wisdom tooth extraction, you should brush your teeth gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush or rinse your mouth with physiological saline.
- Limit smoking for at least the first 3 days after wisdom tooth surgery to avoid serious complications.
- Do not use a chip, pick your tongue, touch, poke, etc. to avoid damaging the wisdom tooth extraction site.
- If you see unusual signs, you need to immediately go to a hospital or reputable medical facility for a timely examination.
View more: Is Wisdom Tooth Extraction risky? 9 potential complications to know
4. Other frequently asked questions
Regarding the issue of wisdom tooth extraction and what to eat, many people also have other questions:
4.1. How long after wisdom tooth extraction can I eat and drink normally?
Compared to molar tooth extraction, the wisdom tooth extraction process is more complicated (especially in cases of impacted wisdom teeth or misaligned wisdom teeth). Not only that, the wisdom tooth extraction process is more invasive and affects tissues, so the recovery process is also longer. Therefore, eating after wisdom tooth extraction needs special attention. In the first days after tooth extraction, you should still prioritize eating soft, easy-to-swallow foods. After 3-4 weeks, you can eat and drink as usual.
4.2 Can you eat fish if you have wisdom teeth removed?
Fish is a food that contains a lot of protein and healthy fats that support the healing process and prevent infection, so eating fish after wisdom tooth extraction is completely normal. Note, when eating, you should remove the fish bones to avoid affecting the extraction site.
4.3 What porridge should you eat if you have wisdom teeth extracted?
In your diet after wisdom tooth extraction, you should eat meat porridge, fish porridge, pureed shrimp porridge, and can cook with green vegetables (spinach, pumpkin…) to supplement nutrients for the body.
After wisdom tooth extraction, what to avoid and what to eat will certainly not be too difficult a question with the information provided above. It can be seen that diet is also one of the important factors affecting how quickly or slowly the healing process occurs. Therefore, you should pay attention and develop a reasonable diet so that the wound caused by wisdom tooth extraction heals quickly.
If you are having problems with your wisdom teeth, you can contact Elite Dental via Hotline (+84) 28 7306 3838 – (+84) 902661100 or come directly to the clinic to have a specialist dentist examine and provide advice.
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