What not to eat after getting wisdom teeth out

Foods to Avoid After Tooth Extraction

Foods to stay away from during your first week of recovery include:

• chewy or hard candies
• crackers
• crunchy vegetables
• apples
• solid meats
• spicy flavors
• nuts
• chips

A blood clot will form in the hole where the tooth used to be after wisdom tooth extraction. The clot is vital for proper healing. If disturbed or lost, the socket will take longer to heal and might prolong the usual soreness after extraction. A dry socket may require addition treatment so be extremely careful during the first few days of recovery. Also, do not use a straw for drinking. You may draw the clot out of the socket when you create the vacuum in your mouth to drink.

A few days to a week after your surgery, you can start to eat more solid foods again. A few days will ensure that the critical blood clot has sufficiently stopped any bleeding and promoted a socket ready for new bone to grow. 

We will go over all this with you in your consultation before the extractions and give you further instructions. Most importantly, after you are home and ready to eat, take care to be gentle. Pay attention to how you’re feeling, and call us if you have any questions.

After wisdom tooth extraction, drink lots of water, and eat soft foods that you can easily tolerate, such as yogurt and applesauce.

By age 12, most baby teeth have been replaced with adult teeth. But there are still some teeth yet to come: your wisdom teeth. The name comes from the idea that these teeth grow in at a more mature age, usually between ages 17 and 21.

Many people find it painful when wisdom teeth grow in, and it’s common for them to be impacted. That means they are trapped in your jaw or under your gums. Most people have at least one impacted wisdom tooth.

If wisdom teeth are impacted; they’re not growing in the right position; or there is evidence of pain, infection, cysts, gum disease, or decay, your dentist may recommend surgery to remove your wisdom teeth. You will likely be referred to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for the procedure. You’ll receive local anesthesia, intravenous sedation, or general anesthesia. Usually, removing wisdom teeth doesn’t cause much pain. 

After surgery, there may be some swelling and mild discomfort, and you’ll have to modify your diet to include foods that are not painful to chew. Pain and trismus (difficulty opening the mouth) occur in about 7% of people after wisdom tooth surgery, which can affect chewing, swallowing and food intake. 

How long should you not eat before wisdom tooth removal? 

Your dentist or oral surgeon will provide you with pre-operative instructions. One of the guidelines may be to avoid eating and drinking anything for 8 hours before surgery, but this will depend on the type of anesthesia that they plan to use. 

If your surgery is in the morning, the dentist or surgeon may advise you to have no food or liquids after midnight. Check with your dentist to know your specific guidelines.

What foods should you eat after wisdom teeth removal? 

After wisdom tooth extraction, you will likely be instructed to drink lots of water and eat soft foods that you can easily tolerate. Ensure that you get enough protein, vitamins, and minerals, because these nutrients are helpful for wound healing. 

If you’re not eating enough or only drinking broth and juice, you won’t get the necessary nutrients for healing. Malnutrition is a problem in wound healing, and falling short on protein and vitamins slows the healing process.

Soft foods that you can include in your diet after wisdom tooth removal include:

• Applesauce or other pureed fruits (try baby food)

• Mashed soft fruit such as bananas or avocado

• Steamed mashed carrot or cauliflower

• Steamed mashed pear, peach, or apple

• Warm (not hot) broth or cream soups

• Oatmeal, congee, porridge, or cream of wheat

• Scrambled eggs

• Smoothies

• Cottage cheese

• Milk 

• Soft cooked pasta or noodles

• Mashed fish

• Pudding 

• Mashed potatoes

• Mashed cooked lentils, beans, or chickpeas

• Yogurt 

• Ice cream or frozen yogurt

Try to include a source of protein with your meals, such as egg, yogurt, milk, fish, beans, or lentils. Protein helps speed wound healing. 

How long should you wait before eating? 

You can eat when you feel like it after surgery, but be careful with your food choice. For the first 24 hours after surgery, eat only soft foods that require no chewing, such as yogurt or applesauce. 

When can you reintroduce solid foods? 

Once the pain begins to subside, you can start eating semi-soft foods that require a small bit of chewing, such as bananas, avocado, mashed potatoes, and scrambled eggs. You will likely eat soft and semi-soft foods for a few days. Most people do feel more comfortable in 3 to 4 days, but let pain be your guide. Eat what feels good, and go back to eating regular food when you feel less pain.   

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Promotion disclosure

GoodRx Health information and resources is reviewed by our editorial staff with medical and healthcare policy and pricing experience. See our editorial policy for more detail. We also provide access to services offered by GoodRx and our partners when we think these services might be useful to our visitors. We may receive compensation when a user decides to leverage these services, but making them available does not influence the medical content our editorial staff provides.

What foods and drinks should you avoid after wisdom teeth removal? 

It’s important to not drink alcohol, fruit juice, carbonated drinks like soda and seltzer, or caffeinated or hot beverages such as coffee and tea. These can irritate the surgery spots in your mouth and slow down the healing process. 

Avoid using straws for at least a week after surgery, since the sucking action can dislodge the blood clot from the tooth socket (where the tooth was removed) and cause more bleeding. You’ll also want to refrain from rinsing or spitting for the first 24 hours after surgery, as these can dislodge the blood clots from the empty tooth sockets.

If you smoke, your provider will probably advise you to refrain from cigarettes for at least 72 hours after surgery. Tobacco products can delay healing and increase the risk of complications. 

What happens if you eat the wrong foods after wisdom teeth removal?

Foods that are hard, scalding hot, chewy, crunchy, or spicy might get stuck in the socket or irritate the surgical wound, which can cause pain and bleeding and make the healing process last longer. Stick with soft foods instead. You also want to avoid nuts and seeds until you are healed, since they can get stuck in the sockets. 

How long does it take to recover from wisdom teeth removal?  

It can take up to 2 weeks to recover from wisdom tooth extraction, but you won’t have to eat soft foods for that long. Usually, the soft diet just lasts for a few days or until you can comfortably chew again.  

The bottom line

Stock your fridge and pantry with enough soft and semi-soft foods to last a few days. Try yogurt, applesauce, potatoes, and your favorite ingredients for smoothies. 

Wisdom tooth surgery is relatively low risk, but do call your dentist or oral surgeon if you have excessive bleeding, fever, or severe swelling that gets worse after three days. Also, contact your provider if you are unable to chew after a few days. They will advise on the best next steps. 

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

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