How Soon After Wisdom Teeth Removal Am I Able to Eat?

You can eat a couple hours after wisdom teeth removal, but the food you consume should be in liquid form, like smoothies. Add soft foods (like avocado or mashed potatoes) 24 hours later. When a few weeks have passed, you can return to your normal diet.

Wisdom tooth removal is a common surgery, but it is considered invasive, so healing afterward takes as long as two weeks. Paying attention to nutrition during this time frame can help your body heal as quickly as possible.

What Can I Eat After Wisdom Tooth Removal? A Step-by-Step Guide

After wisdom tooth removal, your mouth needs time to heal—and good nutrition to do so. Following a very strict but simple recovery plan can ensure you have all the tools you need for a healthy smile.

 Consider this a detailed recovery diet plan:

The First 24 Hours

The first day after surgery is often the most painful, and it’s critical for healing. Focus on foods that don’t require chewing, such as broth, juice, and water. Anything you eat should be lukewarm (not hot or cold), and you should sip from a cup or bowl.

Days 2-3

As your mouth begins to heal, your hunger pangs may return. Focus on eating very soft, nutrient-dense foods that don’t require a lot of chewing. Good foods in this category include the following:

• Gelatin

• Pudding

• Soup

• Smoothies

• Applesauce

Once again, these foods shouldn’t be too hot or cold.

Days 4-7

As your mouth continues to heal, you can add foods that require a little chewing. Good examples include the following:

• Mashed potatoes

• Scrambled eggs

• Soft meat or fish

• Avocadoes

• Oatmeal

• Soft bananas

• Pureed or mashed vegetables like carrots or parsnips

• Pureed seedless fruit

Days 8-14

Your pain can be your guide during this time. If you’re feeling comfortable, transition to semi-hard foods, such as pasta, steamed vegetables, and casseroles. If anything increases your pain or makes you feel worse, skip that food until you’re feeling better.

What Foods Should I Avoid?

The texture and hardness of your meals are important for your healing mouth, but other food attributes matter too.

These are some foods to avoid in the two weeks after wisdom tooth removal, along with notes about why they’re not ideal for a healing mouth:

• Spicy foods: Intense heat and tang can irritate healing tissues and increase your pain. Bland foods are safer for sore tissues.

• Crunchy snacks: Chips, crackers, and other crunchy foods come with sharp corners that can poke and scrape your healing tissues.

• Crumbly foods: Ingredients that break into pieces in your mouth, like hamburger or bread crumbs, can slip into the gap your wisdom tooth left behind.

What Eating Methods Should I Avoid?

In general, it’s best to serve your meals lukewarm. Very hot foods can increase your pain, and some very cold drinks can do the same thing. Serving foods at the approximate temperature of your mouth may make eating much more comfortable.

Using glasses, cups, and spoons is always preferable to slurping snacks through a straw. The suction used to pull liquids into a straw can remove the clot protecting the gap your tooth left behind. Bleeding can begin, and sometimes, infections form in spaces unprotected by clots. Never use a straw in the days following wisdom tooth removal.

Good Nutrition for Wound Healing

It’s tempting to stick to comfort foods after wisdom tooth removal. However, your body also needs good nutrition to repair the damage and restore you to good health. 

Follow these suggestions from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

• Try your best to include items from all categories of food groups, including protein, fruit, vegetables, dairy, and grains.

• Choose fruits and vegetables with high levels of vitamin C, such as strawberries and broccoli. Remember, you can puree these items if they’re too firm to chew.

• Eat beans, chicken, seafood, or beef to get appropriate amounts of zinc.

• Ensure you have protein throughout the day. Eggs, beans, and dairy are all excellent sources, and they can be prepared in chew-free formats.

• Drink plenty of water and unsweetened beverages. 

If you have a nutritional deficiency or your diet is part of your management plan for an issue like diabetes, talk to a dietitian before your wisdom tooth removal. Together, you can create a meal plan that’s right for your ongoing health.

What Is It Like To Recover from Wisdom Tooth Removal?

Many adults in the United States have their wisdom teeth removed, typically around the time they start to come in. Although some dentists are trying to let their patients’ wisdom teeth come in naturally rather than preemptively removing them, wisdom teeth can often crowd the other teeth, cause too much pressure, and lead to gum disease. 

Fortunately, wisdom teeth removal is a standard, common operation that dentists are well trained in. 

Recovery from wisdom tooth removal takes about two weeks, on average. For the first week or so after the extraction, you can expect side effects like these:

• Swollen mouth and cheeks, which might make it difficult to eat

• Some visible bruising on the cheeks

• A stiff, sore jaw that should wear off in about 7 to 10 days

• Pain, which over-the-counter pain medications should take care of

• An unpleasant taste in your mouth

• Bad breath, which should go away in a few days

• Bleeding that should stop after one to two days

In the first 24 hours after your wisdom teeth are removed, you should replace the gauze in your mouth as directed. Avoid spitting, sipping through straws, rinsing your mouth out, smoking, and drinking alcohol. You may only be able to drink water, broth, and juice.

After the first 24 hours, gently rinse your mouth as directed by your dentist, and stick with the recommended foods. Avoid strenuous exercise for a few days, and prop your head up with an extra pillow at night to reduce swelling. You should be able to return to work after about a week, although your gums will not be completely healed, and you may still experience some discomfort.

Following the early stages of wisdom teeth removal, your mouth is at risk of bacteria. During this time, developing a cavity can undoubtedly occur, which is why taking care of your oral hygiene is so important.

Best Drinks After Wisdom Tooth Removal

The most important beverage to drink after a wisdom tooth extraction is water.

Water acts as natural rinse for your teeth and gums, helping to wash away problematic bacteria that your extraction site may be especially vulnerable to after the procedure.

Drinking water also helps to defend against dry mouth. Dry mouth lowers the amount of saliva you produce. Saliva acts as a natural defense against bacteria, so it’s important to be producing enough during your recovery.

For the first 24 hours after the procedure, avoid drinking anything hot, alcoholic, carbonated, or caffeinated. Sugary drinks should be avoided during the recovery process, as they encourage the production of bacteria (including plaque) which can cause decay and gum problems.

How to Handle the Pain

Mild discomfort is common after wisdom tooth removal. If the tooth was impacted or the process took a long time, you may have more pain than someone who had a mild and easy case.

Your doctor may send you home with pain management medications. Take them as directed, and contact your doctor if they’re not doing enough to keep your discomfort under control. Some painkillers cause nausea when they’re used on an empty stomach. Remember to have a snack when you’re taking your pills.

If your doctor didn’t send home pain medication, over-the-counter solutions like aspirin or ibuprofen may be enough to ease discomfort. Follow the instructions on the pill bottles, and contact your doctor if you’re still uncomfortable. 

If your tooth wasn’t infected, you could use an ice pack on your cheek to reduce swelling and discomfort. Wrap the pack in a towel, and place it on your cheek for up to 30 minutes at a time.

If your tooth was infected, moist heat is a better choice. Dampen a washcloth in warm water, and hold it on your cheek for several minutes to reduce discomfort. Your doctor may have provided antibiotics to reduce the infection. Take those as instructed.

Getting Back to Normal After Surgery

After about a week, you can add many foods back into your diet. If the clots in the sockets are healed enough according to your dentist, you can use straws to sip smoothies or other drinks. You may wish to avoid tough foods like pretzels, chips, or tough meats. It can also be a good idea to stay away from spicy foods and sugary or processed foods.

Your gums may need another week to fully heal. However, many people recover well from this procedure and will be enjoying nachos, fresh carrots and celery, and popcorn again before they know it.

Wisdom Tooth Removal & Eating Frequently Asked Questions