Teeth may need to be extracted due to various dental problems or different circumstances. Knowing what to pay attention to and how to eat after tooth extraction ensures a speedy recovery. Therefore, it is crucial to follow your dentist's recommendations after the extraction process.
Can You Eat After Tooth Extraction?
The mouth is considered as the beginning of the digestive system. Therefore, oral problems can risk both general health and oral health. Accordingly, teeth must be taken care of. However, in cases where treatment is not possible, teeth may need to be extracted. After tooth extraction surgery, it is essential to pay attention to the doctor's advice and diet.
It is not recommended to consume solid foods within a few hours after tooth extraction. Because when you consume solid foods, you can disrupt the blood clot that forms in the area after the tooth extraction and cause serious damage to your gums. Therefore, only liquid and pureed foods should be consumed on the first day after tooth extraction.
What Should Your Diet be After Tooth Extraction?
After tooth extraction, you should be careful about your diet to prevent damage to the area where the tooth was extracted and to avoid various problems such as bleeding and swelling. After the operation, you can consume the following foods.
Ice Cream
Ice cream can be consumed as long as you don't have tooth sensitivity. It is cool and soft, so you can eat it comfortably even if you have pain in your mouth. However, ice creams that do not require too much jaw muscle to eat should be preferred.
Cold Soup
Warm or cold soup is also among the foods that can be eaten after tooth extraction. Soup not only feels good after the operation, but also helps your facial muscles feel much better as it contains a lot of nutrients and in some cases, protein.
Smoothie
You can add protein, calcium and probiotics to your drink by mixing fruits with some yogurt or kefir. Adding yogurt or a similar dairy product to your smoothie makes the drink less acidic.
What Shouldn't be Preferred?
The foods that should not be preferred after tooth extraction are as follows:
Spicy and Acidic Foods
Spicy and acidic foods can irritate your mouth after tooth extraction. Therefore, you should stay away from these foods.
Crunchy Snacks
During the first week after your tooth extraction, you should avoid crunchy snacks, including those that are cold or tolerable. Eating crunchy snacks when you have pain in your mouth is both difficult and there is a possibility that the pieces may break and get stuck in the extraction site.
Straws
Using a straw immediately after having your tooth extracted can cause a sucking motion that can increase the risk of inflammation in the extraction site. To minimize the risk of complications, it is best to drink cold drinks in small sips without using a straw after the surgery.
What Should be Considered After a Dental Surgical Procedure?
After a tooth extraction, the following should be considered:
- Bite the tampon in your mouth for 30 minutes. Do not replace the tampon with non-sterile materials such as cotton or napkins after removing it.
- It is forbidden to spit, rinse the mouth during the day of the surgical procedure.If you spit, your bleeding will continue.
- Nothing should be eaten for about 2-3 hours after the procedure. If numbness persists, wait for it to subside. Warm foods and drinks should be preferred afterwards and hot, cold and acidic foods and drinks should be avoided. The surgical side should not be used while eating.
- Smoking and drinking alcohol should be avoided for 48 hours after the tooth extraction. Smoking can cause the clot to break and the wound to become infected.
- If there is pain, a medication other than aspirin should be preferred. Consulting a doctor is recommended for this matter. If you have a prescription, especially antibiotics, they should be used regularly.
- The extraction site must be kept clean. Food debris should be prevented from getting inside the wound. Even if there are stitches after the surgical procedure, the area should be gently brushed with a soft toothbrush 24 hours later. Gargling with warm salt water is also recommended.
- Mild bleeding that lasts 6-25 hours as a slight leakage is considered normal. However, if there is excessive bleeding, or this time period is exceeded, or if there is prolonged pain or swelling, you should definitely see a dentist.
- Ice application after the surgical procedure will reduce bruising and swelling on the skin. You should apply ice to the relevant area for 5-minute intervals as much as possible during the first 2 days. Ice should not be applied from the 3rd day onwards.
