A member asked:
when can i start eating solid foods after having my wisdom teeth extracted? it's been four days, and the process has been really easy, actually. i had a little bleeding the first few days, but no real pain or swelling. i'd like to eat, and know to avoid c
4 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Andrew Kanter answered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 31 years experience
The : The advice i give most patients is "if it hurts, don't eat it." it is very difficult to do any real damage to the surgical sites after typical third molar surgery. Generally, you should begin with foods of softer consistency such as scrambled eggs, yogurt, pasta and slowly advance your diet as tolerated to harder foods. Salt water rinses are helpful in keeping food and debris out of the surgical sites and your oral and maxillofacial surgeon may provide you with a small irrigation syringe to direct a stream of water directly into the surgical sites to help to clean them.
5332 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. G Funari answered
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 45 years experience
I : I agree with what dr. Kantner recommends but would caution against using an irrigation syringe to clean out extraction sites early in the healing period as it can cause a very painful condition call "dry socket" if the blood clot is dislodged.
5332 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Sandra Eleczko answered
Dentistry 36 years experience
Depends on you: Good nutrition is important to healing. So you want to be eating healthy. I tell my patients to have soft foods like yogurt, smoothies for the first few days and then build up to more solid foods as they can tolerate them. Since everyone heals differently it is impossible to give you an exact time frame, but if it doesn't bother you, you can use your own good judgement and eat it.
5082 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Robert Tupac answered
Specializes in Prosthodontics
Comfort: As long as you are following your dentist's instructions, let comfort be your guide to eating.
4936 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
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Last updated Oct 3, 2016
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