What to eat after wisdom teeth removal?

[GoodFairy]

My son is having all 4 wisdom teeth out this week and I am looking for ideas about what to give him to eat afterwards.

I've thought of clear soup broth through a straw and very soft mashed potato but then I'm stumped.

I imagine he will need "special food" for at least a week, maybe two.

Has anyone else faced this problem before? Any suggestions would be very welcome.

Thanks heaps!

[bignerpie]

No straws! The suction can dislodge the blood clots and cause dry socket, which is extremely painful. BTDT.

I lived on mashed potatoes after I had mine out. Other good choices would be yogurt and applesauce.

[*Jessica*]

I had mine out last month. The pain meds I had made me sleep a lot more than I expected. I wasn't very hungry at all for a few days. I ate mostly applesauce and yogurt. And I was able to eat almost any foods by about the fourth or fifth day, except for sharp things like potato chips and chewy things like meat.

[fruitfulmomma]

I had one removed and don't remember any special foods needed. PP is correct that you can not use a straw. Also, both dentists my husband has used for teeth removal have said no hot foods after, so you might rethink the broth unless he doesn't mind it cool.

[DogMomforNow]

I had 4 impacted wisdom teeth dug out probably 10 years ago (omg!). I think I ate mostly normal food by the third or fourth day. I had cold soup and milkshakes the first day - and woke up every 2 hours to ice my face (I had a horse show to ride in the next day, had to be able to get my helmet on). That really helped a lot. Other than that I think I probably had applesauce, pudding, yogurt, mashed veggies, overcooked noodles with cheese or butter.

[dani76]

Mashed potatoes and mashed bananas. I remember being able to eat most foods by day 3-4 too. And no straws.

[katelove]

I had 3 out earlier this year. My post-op instructions were cool foods only for the first 24 hrs so I had yoghurt, sorbet, custard etc. After that it was those things plus tinned baked beans (mashed) and spaghetti (cut into little bits), mashed potatoes, risotto, thick soups. Anything I could just sort of swallow in small bites without chewing. I also found it much easier to eat with a teaspoon as I couldn't open my mouth very wide for a week or so.

[Carley]

I had mine out over Christmas & I did not get stitches. I ate yogurt, jello & puddings until my follow up... the whole week. No kidding! I got super creative with that pudding, btw. "Pumpkin pie" pudding with canned pumpkin, cheesecake, banana pudding, chocolate pudding, jello with canned fruits (they are especially mushy = good).

I know a lot of people start eating as soon as they can, but I also know just as many people with freakish stories about dry socket & infections from the peices of food. I tried eating cream of wheat and eggs once, but as soon as I felt particles in my sockets I freaked out & went back to yogurt, jello and puddings.

Again, I'm a freak... but seriously, stay away from rice & anything socket sized. It is going to get back there, and it's better too small or too big than fits just right in the socket.

Make sure they give you one of those cleany-outy-srynge things at your follow up!

-totally anal

/edit I should mention that this was the least painful surgery I've ever had (& I've had many). It was a breeze. The vicodin/percocet (I prefer the latter) just helps the time go by even faster.

[GoodFairy]

Awesome advice ladies. I love this community. : Soooo pleased to know about not using straws. Sincere thanks,I was starting to panic about what I was going to do but feel but more able to cope now I have some more ideas.

[Crafty]

I am the queen of dental pain and these ladies give good suggestions. Tomato soup was nice (no chunks, or very, very mushy ones if small chunks are included)- I think I went through about forty gallons of that when I had my back to back double root canals last year (also had another root canal in 07, and a tooth pulled, along with a bunch of dental work. Pregnancy wrecked my teeth).

Other good soft foods- cottage cheese, yogurt with no fruit chunks or seeds in there (think the custard-types), those Jello cheesecake cups (those were really nice to slurp down when I was in such pain and hadn't eaten solid food in two weeks- I had a REALLY rough time with the last two root canals), mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, maybe some scrambled eggs, those can be swallowed without really being chewed. And it's not food, but keep a few ice packs around, those always helped me deal with the pain and swelling.

Good luck to your son! Make sure that he's eating if they give him pain meds. I learned the hard way that taking Vicodin on an empty stomach isn't a good idea.

[dogmom327]

Bone stock (homemade) for the minerals (to help with healing) and smoothies made with yogurt, kefir, fruit, raw honey, etc. for general nutrition.

[EnviroBecca]

Baked sweet potato rather than regular potato--it's wetter and less grainy so less likely to get stuck in the socket, as well as being more nutritious.

Make smoothies but serve them in a bowl with a spoon.

Avoid acidic foods like tomatoes and oranges; they'll cause a burning sensation for the first few days.

I had 2 out and couldn't eat "regular" food for a full week. I had to avoid particularly chewy and crunchy things for a MONTH.

Swallowing blood during the surgery and/or reacting to anesthesia can cause vomiting, so don't make him eat if he doesn't feel like it, and stick to bland foods for the first 24 hours.

The best pain treatment for me (and with no side effects, unlike the narcotics!) was clove oil on a cotton swab dabbed directly into the sockets.