Eating After a Simple Extraction

Following tooth extraction surgery, your mouth will be sore and sensitive due to one or more open wounds in your gums. Avoid eating for the first four hours after surgery so your body has time to form a blood clot and begin your healing process. Discuss what you should eat and drink after surgery with your dentist, but in general, foods that are very hot, very cold, spicy, crunchy, or sticky must be avoided for at least two to three days.

Your dentist will instruct you to eat soft food for the first 24 to 48 hours before slowly incorporating other foods back into your regular diet. Avoid foods that require a lot of chewing, which can make your pain and swelling worse. You must also avoid spitting, smoking, rinsing vigorously (rinse gently instead), and using straws for drinking. All of these actions could cause the blood clot to become dislodged.

Do not brush your teeth in the first 24 hours after tooth extraction to give the surgery site time to stabilize and begin healing. After a day has passed, you can start gently brushing again.

What Foods Should I Eat in the First 24 to 48 Hours?

Scrambled eggs, smoothies, mashed potatoes, and yogurt are all good examples of soft foods you can eat within the first 24 to 48 hours after your tooth extraction surgery. Continue to avoid vigorous rinsing, spitting, smoking, or drinking through straws. You can begin gently rinsing after the first 24 hours.

Starting on the third day after surgery, you can start eating solid foods. Slowly testing food before eating is a good idea. Make sure you can bite and chew comfortably. Chewing should become a little easier each day, but you will still have soreness and possibly swelling at the surgical site, so you may still need to avoid spicy or acidic foods, anything that is too hot, and food that breaks into small bits, such as nuts and seeds.

Foods that will most likely be appropriate for your diet at this time include soft vegetables; soft bread (nothing too chewy); pasta, noodles, and rice; and cheese, but not crackers.

When one week has passed since your tooth extraction surgery—which actually is not a lot of time for healing—your surgery site should be stable. Foods that are crunchy, spicy, or acidic may no longer cause discomfort, but you should still go slow and test foods first before eating larger portions.

What Should I Drink in the First 24 to 48 Hours?

Recommendations for drinking after tooth extraction surgery are similar to those for food. Very hot or very cold drinks, highly acidic liquids such as fruit juice, fizzy drinks such as soda or sports drinks, or caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and energy drinks are likely to cause discomfort or pain in your mouth.

For the first 24 to 48 hours, drink only temperate water or lukewarm beverages or blended drinks such as smoothies. Avoid most other drinks and, most important of all, do not smoke or use drinking straws.

Starting three to five days after surgery, you can return to normal drinking, but as with food, slowly test various liquids to make sure you are comfortable and do not experience additional discomfort or pain.

Related Article: What is a Simple Extraction?