How to Eat After Getting Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

Last Updated: September 20, 2022 References

After getting your wisdom teeth out, the surgery may be over, but you're not done yet. There are many things to consider about your post-surgery diet and oral care that will help speed up the healing process — like eating only soft foods and rinsing your mouth out regularly. Eating after your surgery can be tough, but there are some simple things you can do to make it easier.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Eating the Right Foods

1
Plan ahead. Go shopping and stock up on soft, easy-to-chew foods before the surgery. Ideally, make them drinkable like yogurt and soups that don't have big chunks. Remember, your back teeth may hurt and you won't want to be chewing very much with your molars for the first few days and up to a week.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Buy food like soup, yogurt, ice cream, applesauce, jello, and mashed potatoes.
- Don’t buy anything that could leave residual food pieces in your mouth like cookies, nuts, rice, or pasta.
- Drink water and juice, but avoid drinks like soda and alcohol.
2
Start with soft, room temperature foods. Eat room temperature, very soft foods the first day after surgery. Try soup that's cooled down, yogurt, or puddings. Applesauce can be good too, just make sure there are no big chunks of apple.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Try boiling vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, potatoes, onion and peppers and then smash them all together. Add a little vegetable stock to create a soup. Allow it to cool before you eat it.
- You can expect to not be able to open your mouth very wide soon after the surgery, so big spoons can cause problems. Make sure to have spoons that are the right size for you.
Advertisement
3
Keep eating soft foods for the first three days or so. It’s important to maintain an exclusively soft diet for the first three days after surgery. Your mouth needs time to heal, so you need to help this process by avoiding foods that require chewing. After the first few days, you will likely be ready for foods that require a little chewing and don't have to be room temperature, like ice cream.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- An advantage to eating cold foods is that it can help numb your mouth, causing you to not feel any pain for a short while. The cool temperatures can also work to soothe your mouth after the surgery.
- Avoid hard and crunchy foods, like corn chips, as well as anything spicy, which could irritate your gums.^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Alina Lane, DDS
  Board Certified Dentist
  Expert Interview. 21 April 2020.}
4
Begin with small bites. When you’re ready to start chewing food again, start with really small bites. Work your way up to normal-sized bites. It can take a while to get back to eating normally, but it will improve soon enough. You don’t want to rush into eating regular foods again because it could cause your wounds to re-open, which can lead to pain and bleeding. Then you’ll have to start the healing process all over again.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Most people start eating normally again after five to seven days post-surgery.
5
Follow your oral surgeon’s instructions. After any kind of surgery, it is crucial to follow your doctor’s advice. But with oral surgery it is especially important because you can’t simply leave the wound untouched. You must eat food during the recovery period.
- Make sure that you listen to everything your doctor tells you and follow their instructions to the letter.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Avoiding Potentially Harmful Items

1
Don’t use straws. When drinking after your surgery, don’t use a straw in your beverage. Sucking through a straw can remove the clot that forms over the wound while it is healing. This can cause excess bleeding and increase the amount of time it takes for your wounds to heal.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Instead of using a straw, just drink any liquids as you normally would from a glass. Use extra caution not to drink too much at one time. Take small sips.
2
Avoid vigorous mouth rinsing. After your surgery, you may feel the need to rinse your mouth — usually because you’ll have dry mouth or because you can taste blood in your mouth, or because you feel like you have food stuck in the hole in your gums. However, rinsing your mouth too much or with too much force can dislodge the blood clot that's necessary for your gum and bone to heal, leading to a painful condition called dry socket. To avoid that, swish and spit as gently as possible.
- Make sure you follow your doctor’s orders regarding mouth rinsing.
3
Try not to chew directly on the wound. Once you have upgraded from liquid foods to semi-solid foods, you’ll need to be mindful about your chewing. Avoid biting down on food over the wound where your wisdom teeth used to be. Try to chew your foods closer to the front of your mouth if possible.
- Chew more slowly and gently than normal so that you can be extra careful about where the food lands in your mouth as you are chewing and you don't put any pressure on areas that are swollen.
4
Avoid smoking. Smoking can be very dangerous for people who have just had oral surgery, especially an extraction like getting your wisdom teeth removed. Smoking transfers all kinds of chemicals inside your mouth and will compromise your healing process. It also greatly increases your risk of infection.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- If you must smoke, wait at least 48 hours after the surgery and then be sure to rinse your mouth out after every single cigarette.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Giving Yourself Proper Oral Care

1
Don’t rush your hunger. Wait until you feel ready to eat something. Right after the surgery you probably won't feel like eating. You don’t want to put something in your mouth until you’re absolutely ready so that your wounds have a little time to heal first. The anesthetic can suppress your appetite for a few hours. Even if your surgery is in the morning you may not end up eating all day. Don't be afraid of not eating for a day — your body will tell you when it's ready to eat.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Make sure you are staying hydrated and drinking an adequate amount of water.
- By the second day, you should have a bit of your normal hunger returned. But even if you aren’t hungry, you should at least eat a little something from the second day on.
2
Brush your teeth. Avoid brushing your teeth on the day of the surgery, but resume brushing from the second day on. Brush gently, especially around the surgical areas. And be careful not to scrape the wound.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- Brushing will help keep your mouth clean and assist with the healing process, even if it is a bit uncomfortable.
3
Rinse your mouth. Beginning the second day after surgery, you should gently rinse your mouth every four to six hours with a warm salt water mixture. This can be made by adding ½ teaspoon of salt with ½ cup of warm water. Swish it around in your mouth for at least 30 seconds and then spit it out.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- Make sure you rinse your mouth immediately after you eat something.
- You should continue with regular salt water rinses for one week after the surgery.

Expert Q&A
Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow

Question

Can I eat mac and cheese after a tooth extraction?

Alina Lane, DDS
Board Certified Dentist
Dr. Alina Lane is a Dentist who runs All Smiles Dentistry, a general practice dental office based in New York City. After completing a DDS at the University of Maryland, Dr. Lane completed a year-long clerkship in Implantology at the University of Maryland, where she focused on the advanced restoration of dental implants. She continued her advanced education by completing a General Practice Residency at Woodhull Medical Center, an affiliate of the NYU School of Medicine. She received the Woodhull Medical Center Resident of the Year 2012-2013.

Alina Lane, DDS

Board Certified Dentist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Yes, soft foods like mac and cheese are fine. Just keep in mind that some soft foods can get stuck in the hole in your gums, which can lead to irritation.
Question

How can I avoid dry sockets?

Alina Lane, DDS
Board Certified Dentist
Dr. Alina Lane is a Dentist who runs All Smiles Dentistry, a general practice dental office based in New York City. After completing a DDS at the University of Maryland, Dr. Lane completed a year-long clerkship in Implantology at the University of Maryland, where she focused on the advanced restoration of dental implants. She continued her advanced education by completing a General Practice Residency at Woodhull Medical Center, an affiliate of the NYU School of Medicine. She received the Woodhull Medical Center Resident of the Year 2012-2013.

Alina Lane, DDS

Board Certified Dentist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Avoid vigorous mouth rinsing. After your surgery, you may feel the need to rinse your mouth, but doing this too much can disrupt the healing process and lead to dry socket. If you need to rinse your mouth, do so gently.
Question

What do I do if I need to chew something?

Alina Lane, DDS
Board Certified Dentist
Dr. Alina Lane is a Dentist who runs All Smiles Dentistry, a general practice dental office based in New York City. After completing a DDS at the University of Maryland, Dr. Lane completed a year-long clerkship in Implantology at the University of Maryland, where she focused on the advanced restoration of dental implants. She continued her advanced education by completing a General Practice Residency at Woodhull Medical Center, an affiliate of the NYU School of Medicine. She received the Woodhull Medical Center Resident of the Year 2012-2013.

Alina Lane, DDS

Board Certified Dentist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Stick to soft foods as much as possible. If you do need to chew something, don't chew on the same side where your tooth was extracted.