Following tooth extraction surgery, for at least a day or two, avoid eating anything other than soft foods such as scrambled eggs and jelly. After a few days, once you feel comfortable, you can reintroduce solid foods which are not too crunchy, chewy, spicy, or sticky.
When Can You Eat After a Tooth Extraction
Tooth extraction surgery leaves your mouth tender and sore, and there will be one or more open wounds in your gums. Foods that are hot, very cold, crunchy, spicy, or sticky, should be avoided for at least a couple of days.
It is usually advised that if you have had a tooth removed you maintain a soft-food diet for 24-48 hours. After that, you can begin to incorporate normal foods back into your diet.
Eating After Wisdom Teeth Removal Versus Regular Teeth Removal
Whether you are getting a wisdom tooth removed or a normal tooth, the procedure, and the recovery, will be similar, depending on how difficult it is to remove the wisdom tooth.
Is Wisdom Tooth Removal More Difficult
Wisdom teeth can sometimes be more difficult to remove because they are further back in the mouth and may not even be visible. If the tooth did not erupt properly, it could be impacted beneath a layer of skin, as opposed to a normal tooth, which would be near the front and fully erupted. You might need a surgical extraction as opposed to a simple extraction, which will take longer to heal.
What to Eat Immediately After a Tooth Extraction
Try to avoid eating anything for the first four hours to give your body a chance to form a blood clot, a crucial part of the healing process.
You also need to avoid spitting, rinsing, and sucking on a straw as these actions will dislodge the blood clot.
Can You Eat When Your Mouth is Still Numb
It is best to not eat when your mouth is still numb from the anesthetic. If parts of your mouth are numb, then you could bite your tongue or cheek without even realizing it.
What to Eat in the First 24 to 48 hours
Your mouth will be tender, and the extraction site will be quite sensitive during this time. You will want to avoid anything which requires excessive chewing. Pain or discomfort after a tooth extraction is common, but food can certainly escalate it. Try to avoid the following:
- Extremely hot and very cold food or drink.
- Acids, such as citrus fruits or fizzy drinks.
- Spicy food like chilies, curry, or spicy wings.
- Crunchy food like corn chips, nuts, or apples.
- Food with small bits, like seeds.
- Crumbly food, such as biscuits.
- Sticky food, like toffee or chewing gum.
- Chewy foods, like meats.
During this time, you will be on a soft-food diet. This means choosing food which does not require much chewing and is not too extreme on your mouth, such as hot, acidic, or spicy. Scrambled eggs, smoothies, mashed potato, and yogurt are prime examples of soft foods. Avoid rinsing, spitting, or sucking during the first 24 hours, and after that you can start to rinse your mouth gently.