You’ve had your tooth extracted and you’re feeling a little sore. What should you eat after your extraction? Here are some helpful tips on what to eat and not eat after a tooth is removed.
Ice
Ice is a good way to relieve pain, reduce swelling and keep the area clean. Ice also helps prevent infection by reducing bacteria in the mouth.
Ice should be applied for 20 minutes at a time, every 2 to 3 hours for the first 24 hours after your tooth has been removed. The goal is to keep your face as still as possible during this time so that you don’t disturb any clotting or bleeding that may be present in your gums or cheek tissue–this can cause further complications like swelling or bruising around your mouth area (known as perioral numbness).
Soft Food
- Soft food is best. Avoid hard or crunchy foods, hot and cold foods (especially ice cream), spicy foods, and acidic foods (such as tomato sauce) that may irritate your mouth and cause bleeding.
- Avoid acidic beverages such as citrus juice or soda pop for 48 hours after surgery.
- Take your prescribed pain medication as directed by your dentist or oral surgeon
to reduce pain and discomfort. Take your prescribed oral antibiotics as directed by your dentist or oral surgeon to prevent infection.
Rinse your mouth with a warm salt water solution (1/2 teaspoon of salt to 8 ounces of warm water) several times a day to reduce swelling and prevent infection. Use an electric toothbrush and gently brush around the surgical site for two or three days after surgery. Do not use an electric toothbrush on other areas of your mouth during this time.
Saltine Crackers and Cream Cheese
The day after your tooth is removed, you can eat crackers and cheese. However, it’s important not to eat too much at once. You also should avoid crunchy foods like apples or carrots for the first 24 hours after surgery because they can break off the remaining stitches. Don’t eat anything hot either; this could cause discomfort in your mouth or throat if there are sutures inside of it that could potentially get burned by hot food items like coffee or soup (though this isn’t likely). Lastly, don’t drink alcohol while taking antibiotics because they can interact negatively with each other and make symptoms worse!
Yogurt with Granola
After your tooth is removed, it’s important to eat a nutrient-dense diet. Yogurt with granola can help you get the nutrients that your body needs to heal and recover from surgery.
To make yogurt, boil water in a pot on the stovetop until it boils vigorously. Pour milk into a glass container or bowl and place this over top of the boiling water in such a way that only half of it is submerged in water (this will prevent burning). Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil held down with clips if necessary; let sit overnight at room temperature until thickened (about 10 hours). Stir well before eating!
Granola should be made by combining oats with nuts (walnuts), seeds (sunflower), dried fruit (raisins), and coconut flakes–whatever kind of mixture sounds good! Simply stir these ingredients together until evenly coated with oil or butter before baking them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes until golden browned on top but still soft underneath when pressed down gently between two fingers
Eat soft food for a few days after your tooth is removed.
After a tooth is removed, it’s important to eat soft food for a few days. Do not chew on the side of your mouth where the tooth was removed and avoid hot, spicy, or acidic foods until you’ve seen your dentist for follow-up treatment.
Your dentist may prescribe medication to help relieve pain in addition to following these tips:
- Eat soft foods that are easy on your mouth such as soup, yogurt smoothies with crushed ice cubes, or ice cream (avoid chewing gum). Avoid crunchy snacks like nuts or chips because they can further irritate your gums. * Drink plenty of water throughout each day so that you do not become dehydrated from bleeding during this time period.* Use ice packs wrapped in cloth towels applied directly over swollen areas several times throughout each day as needed until the swelling subsides.* Remove any food particles from the empty socket using clean fingers.* Don’t smoke cigarettes while recovering from an extraction procedure — smoking increases bleeding by constricting blood vessels which reduces circulation within tissues surrounding them causing them not only slower healing times but also increases risk factors related both tooth loss itself due to the inability to replace lost tissue quickly enough prevent infection build up within bone structure which could result in permanent damage if left untreated long enough.”
Conclusion
We hope this article has given you a good idea of what to eat after tooth extraction. Remember that the best food to eat after having a tooth removed will depend on the type of extraction procedure you underwent. If you have any questions or concerns about how long it takes for your mouth to heal after surgery, contact us today!
