What to Eat and What to Avoid After a Tooth Extraction

A tooth extraction is a fairly common and straightforward dental procedure. In fact, an extraction will only take a few minutes!

The healing period is another story. Healing after a tooth extraction can take several weeks. While the gums may heal in just 4-7 days, and the site will appear closed, the jawbone will require a bit more time.

If you’re about to get a tooth extracted, then you’re likely wondering what type of dietary changes you’ll need to make. To support the healing period, it’s best to avoid a few types of food, especially in the beginning, to prevent certain complications.

Here’s what you can eat and what to avoid after tooth extraction:

1. What to Eat

For around 24 hours after your tooth extraction, it’s best to eat softer foods that don’t require a lot of chewing or liquids:

• Mashed potatoes and other vegetables
• Soups and broths
• Yogurt
• Pudding
• Applesauce 
• Ice cream, etc.

Your mouth will still be a bit tender a day after the extraction, and chewing may cause extra pain. Moreover, you’ll want to avoid hard food particles as they can affect the blood clot formed in the extraction site.

You won’t have to make this change for very long. After about 2 days, you can slowly start adding harder foods.

2. What Not to Eat

You should avoid eating very hard and crunchy foods for about a week after your tooth extraction surgery:

• Chips
• Crackers
• Nuts
• Popcorn
• Chewy foods like a steak

Moreover, it’s very important to continue to take good care of your overall oral health at this time, which means you might want to limit:

• Sweets like candy or chocolate
• Alcohol (especially the day after surgery and if you are taking certain pain medications)
• Sugary drinks
• Excessive snacking (sweet or savory)

3. How to Eat

You will also need to make a few small changes to how you eat. For instance, it’s best to chew your food on the other side of your mouth while the extraction site heals.

Also, as you’ll be consuming a lot of liquids, you may want to use a straw. Unfortunately, this is a bad idea, since the sucking motion can dislodge the blood clot and lead to a serious complication.

Think You Might Need an Extraction? We Can Help!

If you’re dealing with a badly damaged tooth and might need an extraction, Ridley Park dentist Dr. Julia Winter is happy to help.

Extractions are nothing to fret about. Dr.Winter will handle your case with the utmost care and compassion, and help your oral health get back on track.

To get started, contact Kite & Key Dentistry today!