Eating after a wisdom tooth operation
introduction
Many patients ask themselves what food is like after a wisdom tooth operation.
The consumption of coffee, tea, cigarettes and dairy products should be avoided in the first few days. After about a week the wound has healed so that it is possible to eat again as easily as possible.
Hard foods should not be consumed immediately after the operation and for a few days afterwards, as they can scratch the wound and cause pain. Soft foods that don't need to be chewed are best. If the wound is well cared for, you can gradually feel your way to all the food. For larger, long-lasting, painful wounds, you should contact your dentist.
Why shouldn't you eat anything after a wisdom tooth operation?
In principle, the ban on eating after the wisdom tooth operation only applies as long as the anesthesia persists in the jaw and lip. How long that is is different for each patient.
If the wisdom teeth in the lower jaw were pulled, a conduction anesthesia had to be placed, in which the entire lower jaw half including tongue and lip become numb. This can take a few hours.
If you try to eat and drink while your lip is numb, the drink will usually run out of your mouth again. It is also dangerous because the heat of a hot drink or food cannot be judged. Burns easily occur that are not noticed by the anesthetic. Neither do you feel it when you bite your tongue, lip or cheek. The open wounds can easily become infected.
Read more on the topic: Inflammation after a wisdom tooth operation
When is it possible to eat again?
Eating and drinking is allowed as soon as the feeling in the mouth area has completely returned. You should also wait for the bleeding to stop. But that usually happened soon after the treatment. It is important to be careful when drinking not to rinse out the blood plug that has protected the wound.
It is not possible to predict when exactly the anesthetic will return. Depending on how much and, above all, which anesthetic was injected and how strongly the patient reacts to the anesthetic, the time until the feeling comes back completely varies.
Read more on the topic: Dental pain elimination
What should be eaten after a wisdom tooth operation?
After a wisdom tooth operation, soft foods are the best solution. Applesauce, bananas, baby food or pureed vegetables are just examples. Little by little you can take products that are a little firmer and that you have to chew. For example bread without a crust, pasta or rice. In order to accelerate wound healing, it makes sense to avoid spicy and very solid foods.
The sharpness irritates the open wound, making it harder to heal. Hard or crumbly food scratches the gums in the area of the wound or lies inside the wound. This can lead to further inflammation. The food should also not be too hot to prevent burns. The consumption of citrus fruits and dairy products should be reduced, as the gums could be damaged by the acid. Coffee and tea are taboo in the first two days because they stimulate bleeding and disrupt wound healing.
Does eating ice cream help after a wisdom tooth operation?
Eating ice cream after the operation is a good option that even helps wound healing. However, there are a few important exceptions to be aware of. The advantages of ice are that it cools the cheek and even the wound from the inside. However, you have to be careful that the temperature for the other teeth is not too low.
The temperature reduces the swelling. However, you shouldn't consume dairy products at first. That's why ice cream without milk is the best option. Ice cream shouldn't be eaten all the time either. Cooling breaks must be taken.
When can you start drinking again?
After the operation, you should first keep your mouth closed and bite the swab until the bleeding has stopped. You also have to wait until the anesthesia has completely subsided. Drinking is generally allowed. However, one should avoid milk, coffee and black and green tea. Cold drinks are generally better than warm drinks.
It is important to be careful not to rinse the wound while drinking. The blood must remain in the wound, as a blood plug gradually forms, which is protective over the wound and covers it. Drinking sips is particularly suitable for this at the beginning.
When can coffee be drunk again?
Drinking in general and especially hot drinks should only be consumed as soon as the anesthesia has subsided and the feeling is completely there again. The disadvantage of coffee is that it dilates the blood vessels and thus stimulates bleeding. Therefore, the bleeding must be stopped before drinking coffee again.
It is dangerous in patients who take drugs to thin the blood. You shouldn't drink coffee for now, otherwise the bleeding won't stop. Before a major operation, the medication may be changed so that you should discuss this with your dentist. If possible, these patients should avoid coffee for a week.
When is it allowed to smoke again?
Anyone who continues smoking immediately after the operation risks wound healing disorders. In general, you should not smoke for at least 2 weeks after the operation. In a wisdom tooth operation, the resulting wound is quite large. Most teeth are extracted or even milled from healthy bone.
What remains is a large, deep hole. The wound takes some time to heal completely. The smoke dries out your mouth. The nicotine reduces blood flow. This can lead to inflammation in the dry tooth cavity.
You might also be interested in these topics:
- Wound healing disorder on the tooth
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Do the threads interfere with chewing?
The main masticatory force center is located in the area of the 5th and 6th tooth. Because the seams are so far back in the mouth, they don't bother. In addition, they are usually cut so short that you can hardly feel them. Of course, it can be uncomfortable or painful if something gets on the wound. As a rule, if the wound is healing well, the sutures will be removed one week after the operation.
There are of course different threads. Some are softer than others. The more stable ones can poke now and then when you touch the seam with your tongue.
What to do if food remains in the wound?
Leftovers should be removed. Depending on how well the wound has healed, the wound can be rinsed out. On the first day one should avoid extreme rinsing with water or anything else in order not to wash out the wound. As soon as you eat food that gets caught in the wound, you can carefully try to remove the remains with a cotton swab.
In the pharmacy or at the dentist there are small syringes with small attachments to clean the wound daily with an antibacterial mouthwash. In addition, the wound can be carefully cleaned with a toothbrush from the third or fourth day after the operation. It is important that all instruments with which one approaches the wound have been thoroughly cleaned beforehand.
When can dairy products be eaten again?
Whether and from when dairy products can be consumed again is very controversial among dentists and oral surgeons. As a rule, you should avoid milk for at least 2 days so that the wound does not stick together. There is also the risk that the lactic acid bacteria cause inflammation. As soon as the wound is somewhat closed in the first healing step, you can drink milk and eat other products. However, you should then rinse your mouth with water, otherwise the threads will stick together.
Since every body reacts differently, it is not possible to predict whether the dairy products are dangerous. In some they do not trigger a reaction, others should go without milk for longer. Therefore, if possible, you should avoid all dairy products for about a week, at least until the threads have been removed.
