After you have had a tooth pulled you will probably end up getting hungry within a few hours. It’s great that you are getting your appetite back, and you certainly do need to eat in order to keep up your strength so you can heal, but there are some foods that it’s probably wise to steer clear of.
Avoid Chewy Foods
Foods such as beef jerky (or jerky of any kind), “sticky” foods like taffy or hard candy (if you chew it), or any type of food that will pull on your teeth should be avoided. You don’t want to pull or agitate the wound while it is healing, so go easy for a few days.
Avoid Foods That Will Agitate Your Tissues
You will want to avoid eating foods that are overly spicy, as the spices can agitate your tender gum tissues and cause you more pain than you expected. Likewise, foods with too much acid in them can be bad news, so avoid citrus and other similar foods.
Avoid Crunchy Foods
You might like granola, but it’s bad news when you’re recovering from an extraction. In addition to dealing with the possibility of poking your sore gums, when you eat crunchy food there is always the chance that a piece could get stuck in the wound.
Eat Foods That Are Soft And Creamy
You should stick to things like eggs, yogurt, cool soups, and the like until your gums have had the opportunity to adequately recover. Fruit smoothies and ice cream are always favorites that taste great and feel cool on your sutures.
Finally, remember to avoid using a straw during this time. The suction could pull away the clots around your wound and prolong the amount of time it takes to heal.
Please contact us if you have any questions about what to eat after an extraction.
