FOODS AFTER ORAL SURGERY

Have you noticed that head and facial injuries bleed easier than other parts of your body? That is because of the increased number of blood vessels and their vulnerability associated with any trauma. Your mouth is no different. Depending on the type of oral surgery and its complexity it might be very important that you monitor what you are able to eat for a number of days to allow the surgical site to rest and heal.

The Different Types of Procedures dealing with Oral Surgery

These are some of the procedures that will need your attention through the recovery process. A tooth extraction leaves an empty socket or hole that needs healing time. Impacted wisdom teeth will leave sutures mending the surgical site. A dental implant goes through a several step process and will need proper care to conclude with a successful replacement. It starts with a hole in your jawbone to accommodate the titanium post. The process is worth the effort but you will be a participating patient. Bone grafting is more complex as is a sinus lift or any kind of jaw alignment. With the complexity comes a longer healing process.

Suggested Soft Foods

Let’s make this healing process fun. You can have as much ice cream as your heart desires. Treat yourself! Here is list of suggestions for you to make sure you have available after your oral surgery. Hearty soups are always good for you. Jell-O is acceptable as is yogurt, pudding or custards. You can eat soft fruits like bananas, berries and canned peaches and applesauce is good for you. Popsicles sound crazy but are fun. Freshly cooked vegetables and fruit smoothies will be healthy as well as oatmeal, scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes. Rice and risotto is ok as is pasta with sauce. Finally, a soft white fish is good. That list is just some suggestions to show you that there is a lot more available than you originally thought.

Foods to avoid

Here are some popular favorites that you will be steering away from for several days to a week again depending on the surgery and the recommendations of the oral surgeon. Do not indulge in spicy foods or foods that are difficult to chew such as steak, poultry or deli meats. Popcorn, pretzels and your favorite potato chips are not acceptable. Hard breads, bagels and even cookies are a no go as well as alcoholic beverages. Any and all of these will irritate the surgical site and you’ll cause more harm than good and extend your recovery.

Other favorite habits to avoid

Even though you are able to enjoy a malt or a protein shake do NOT do so by using a straw. This sucking action will pull the blood clot right off the surgical site. Smoking should be avoided as well for the same reason. Even chewing tobacco is toxic to the healing. Hot liquids are to be avoided as well as aggressive rinsing and spitting. The recovery time is only a few days out of an otherwise long life. Follow the oral surgeon’s orders and behave.

More on Oral Surgery : Length of Oral Surgery Recovery