What Foods Can You Eat After Wisdom Teeth Removal?

After wisdom teeth removal, your diet will be limited. But you might be struggling to think of nutritious and filling food you can eat while you heal. We have created a list of healthy—and tasty—foods that offer lots of variety as you recover. Keep reading as we explain which foods to avoid and why.

Foods You Can Eat After Tooth Extraction

For the first 24 to 48 hours after wisdom teeth removal, you should consume liquids and foods that do not require any chewing. Afterward, we advise that you choose soft, nutritious foods that are easy to chew and swallow. Here is a list of foods that are good to eat after oral surgery:

Fruit

Most fruits contain fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that promote healing. Baked or canned fruits are soft but beware of added sugar in canned fruit. Below is a list of soft fruits you can enjoy, along with some of their nutritional benefits:

• Apples (baked, then peeled) or applesauce – Fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C
• Avocado – Fiber, magnesium, potassium, protein, vitamin B6, vitamin C
• Bananas – Fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B5, vitamin C
• Mango (peeled) – Fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C
• Melons (remove seeds) – Cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon contain fiber, magnesium, potassium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C
• Olives – Fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K
• Papaya (peeled) – Fiber, folate, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C
• Peaches (peeled) – Potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C
• Pears (baked, then peeled) – Fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K

Vegetables

After wisdom teeth removal, you can eat various vegetables without seeds or stems. Cook the vegetables until they are soft, or you can mash or puree them. Eating vegetables reduces inflammation and boosts your immune system to help you heal faster. Some veggie ideas include:

• Beets (steamed or baked) – Folate, vitamin C, iron
• Broccoli crowns – Fiber, potassium, protein, vitamin C
• Carrots (baked or steamed until soft) – Fiber, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin K
• Green beans – Fiber, folate, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K
• Green leafy vegetables (chopped) – Calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin K. Choose soft leafy vegetables like spinach or turnip greens
• Green peas – Fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E
• Squash (peeled and seeded) – Fiber, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K. The squash family offers many choices, including zucchini, eggplant, acorn, butternut, pumpkin, spaghetti, or yellow squash

Meat, Fish, and Other Proteins

Eat plenty of protein to help your body form collagen to repair tissue. Protein also helps your body fight infection. If you are concerned about getting enough protein during your recovery, consider these ideas:

• Cottage cheese – Protein, calcium, and B12. One cup of cottage cheese contains around 28 grams of protein
• Broth, stock, or smooth soup – Protein and potassium. Stock and soup contain more nutrients than broth
• Eggs – Protein, magnesium, and calcium. Enjoy boiled, scrambled, sunny-side-up, or over-easy eggs—or an omelet
• Flaky fish (non-fried) – Protein, B vitamins, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and potassium. Bake, pan sear, or grill catfish, salmon, red snapper, or your favorite flaky fish
• Ground or canned beef, chicken, or turkey
  • Beef – Protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium
  • Chicken – Protein, calcium, vitamin A
  • Turkey – Protein, calcium, potassium, vitamin A
• Hummus – Protein, fiber, iron
• Legumes – Protein, iron, and fiber. Black-eyed peas, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, navy beans, and other types of peas or beans will give you plenty of protein
• Soft tofu – Protein and calcium
• Smooth nut butter – Protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium
• Yogurt – Protein, calcium, magnesium potassium
• Yogurt (non-dairy, almond milk) – Protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium

Other Foods

Other tasty food options after your wisdom teeth removal include:

• Mashed potatoes – Calcium, vitamin C, and potassium
• Smoothies – Add protein powder, nut butter, fruits, or veggies to your smoothie to boost its nutritional value
• Sweet potatoes – Fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium

Foods to Avoid After Tooth Extraction

Keep your recovery moving forward by avoiding acidic or spicy foods or those that require a lot of chewing. They can cause pain or irritation and lead to infection. These foods include:

• Chewy, crunchy, fried, hard, or sticky food – Can break into pieces while you chew, irritate the surgical site, or dislodge blood clots
  • Chips – potato, taco, corn, plantain, veggie, tortilla
  • Crackers
  • Meat
  • Nuts
  • Popcorn
  • Raw, crunchy fruits and vegetable
  • Seeds
• Acidic food – gum tissue and can cause inflammation and pain
  • Fried foods
  • Grapefruits
  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Oranges
  • Pineapples
  • Soda
  • Tomatoes
• Spicy food – Irritates your gums and surgical site and may cause pain
  • Chili
  • Curry
  • Horseradish
  • Hot peppers
  • Salsa

Borderline Foods

Some soft or semi-soft foods require more chewing than others. Sometimes, their small size can increase the risk of lodging in your surgical site. If you are unsure about a food type, remember your goals to minimize chewing, avoid potential irritants, and chew without pain.

Be cautious with these foods:

• Bread – Crust, seeds, or grains in bread can get trapped in or around the surgical site
• Cheese – Asiago, cheddar, and gouda are some types of cheese that take longer to chew than other varieties
• Fruits with seeds – Berries are soft but often contain tiny seeds. Strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are examples. Kiwi is another soft fruit with tiny seeds
• Vegetables with seeds – Okra is an example of a soft vegetable with seeds that might be irritating
• Pasta – Although many kinds of pasta are soft, their texture may require more chewing than other food choices
• Pizza – Crust, cheese, and toppings can increase the chewiness or crunchiness of pizza
• Quinoa – Its small size makes it easy to get trapped in surgical sites
• Rice – This soft but small grain can get lodged in the wound and irritate your gums

How Long Must You Eat a Soft-Food Diet?

Your soft-food diet will last about a week. But as swelling and pain decrease throughout the week, you can gradually switch from soft to semi-soft foods. If you can eat semi-soft foods without pain, try solid foods that require a little more chewing. Most people can resume their regular diet within a week.

Do You Have Painful or Impacted Wisdom Teeth?

If your wisdom teeth are causing pain or discomfort, schedule a consultation or examination with our oral surgeon in Fairhope, AL. Contact us at Minto Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery for an appointment with Dr. David Minto.