Eating After a Simple Extraction
After your tooth extraction, for several days, do your best to avoid eating anything other than soft foods, items like scrambled eggs or Jello. After a few days of healing, when you are feeling more comfortable, you can slowly reintroduce solid foods, just not anything too chewy, crunchy, or sticky.
When Can You Eat After a Simple Tooth Extraction?
Tooth extraction can leave your mouth a little sore and tender, and there can be at least one or even several open wounds in your gums. Any food that tends to be very hot or very cold, crunchy, sticky, or spicy should be avoided for at least a few days.
It is most often advised that if you have had a tooth extracted, you observe a soft-food diet for 24 to 48 hours. Once soreness and tenderness diminish, you can slowly introduce normal food back into your daily diet.
Eating After Wisdom Teeth Removal Versus Regular Teeth Removal
Having a wisdom tooth extracted or any other regular tooth, both the procedure and your recovery will be quite similar. Depending primarily on the difficulty encountered in removing the wisdom tooth.
Is a Wisdom Tooth Removal More Difficult?
Wisdom teeth can often be more difficult to remove because of their location, being located further back in the mouth, and they may not even be visible. This is especially when the wisdom tooth did not erupt normally, and has remained impacted beneath the surface, in comparison to another at the front, and has completely erupted. You could need a surgical extraction instead of a simple extraction, which will take more healing time.
What to Eat Immediately After a Tooth Extraction
Do your best to avoid eating anything whatsoever for the first four hours following the tooth extraction to allow for the healthy formation of a blood clot, which is a crucial step in your healing process.
You must avoid spitting, rinsing, and even sucking on a straw because these motions will dislodge that crucial blood clot.
Can You Eat When Your Mouth is Still Numb?
It is certainly in your best interests not to eat while your mouth is still numb from any anesthetic. If anything in your mouth is numb, you can easily bite your tongue or cheek and not realize it.
What to Eat in the First 24 to 48 hours
Your mouth will be slightly sore and tender, and the extraction site can be overly sensitive. Avoid eating anything that necessitates any excessive chewing. Some discomfort or slight pain after a tooth extraction is expected, but food will exacerbate it. Try to avoid the following:
- Hot or cold foods or drinks.
- Chewy foods, like many meats.
- Acids, like citrus fruits or fizzy drinks.
- Spicy foods, such as chilies or spicy wings.
- Any food with seeds.
- Crumbly food, much like biscuits.
- Sticky items, like chewing gum or toffee.
During this essential healing time, you should focus on a soft-food diet. This means food that does not require extensive chewing. Smoothies, scrambled eggs, yogurt, or mashed potatoes are excellent examples of soft foods. Also, you must avoid rinsing, spitting, or sucking during the first 24 hours.