I’m getting a lower left wisdom tooth removed soon (trying to get an appointment for April). I’m being regaled with stories of pain, swelling, ‘dry socket’ - generally just being inundated with tales of how horrible the aftermath is going to be. I’m trying to book a date where I can have a few days off work after the procedure, which is going to be a complex surgical one because of how the damn tooth is situated.
So, I’m hoping some HOs might be able to advise on whether I’ll be able to eat for the few days after the extraction, and what sort of foods might be tolerable. I’ve been told even drinking liquids is fraught with danger as it might wash away the clot leading up dry socket and consequent severe pain.
Soft stuff like yogurt, pureed soups, applesauce, etc. Nothing grainy that can get stuck somewhere, nothing sticky that can make you suck on the inside of your mouth.
I had all four removed, and I did get dry socket (it is horrible). What I remember best is marching back into my oral surgeon’s office the next day to trade in my Vicodin for a real painkiller. Vicodin is basically St. Joseph’s Aspirin for Children, as far as I’m concerned.
It’s been a while, but I had all four out at the same time (surgery / hospital / general anesthesia, they were all out of whack). I remember wanting either cold or room temp drinks and food, nothing hot. Mac and cheese (very soft noodles), applesauce, etc. And no straws for the drinks - that’s what can dislodge the clots.
As with all surgeries, stay on top of the pain meds (even the nonprescription ones) - this is not the time to be a hero!
Hah! Like an idiot, I decided to teach the day after my surgery. I was debating whether to take my oxy and be spacey, or go without and be in pain. I chose the latter. Halfway through the class, one of my students asked if I was okay, 'cause I looked very pale and sweaty. I decided to cut the class short and go home.
I had my wisdom teeth out in college. I don’t remember it being particularly bad. What I do remember was my dad brought home a whole cheesecake from S&S in the Bronx and I ate that for a few days. I’m sure I ate a few other things, but I mostly remember the cheesecake, and for that reason I honestly don’t have terrible memories of the aftermath!
I’m not going to regale you with horror stories, but I recall I didn’t eat much simply because I wasn’t hungry. I know I was in discomfort/pain, but not so bad that it was memorable. I didn’t eat for about three days, though, IIRC, but slept a LOT. My lower molars were both hard tissue impactions, while the uppers were fairly simple and straightforward. For reasons of insurance coverage, I had one upper removed first, then about two months later had the other three pulled. And my mom, ever the thrifty one, opted for cheaper local anesthesia instead of general.
I had my entire set of wisdom teeth removed when I was 15. In-patient, put under bc they had to saw my jaws open to extract them.
I had an allergic reaction to the self-dissolving threads and my face swole up like a mofo. I could only open my mouth wide enough for a tiny teaspoon, but basically lived on milkshakes and painkillers for a week.
I’ve had lower left and upper right wisdom teeth remove, at different times. No problems, no horror stories. It’s a good excuse to eat a lot of ice cream. I like pureed soups.
Recommend staying with softer, swallow-able foods for longer than you think you need – I tried to switch when I thought I was ready and ended up with a headache and a lot more pain, and went back to soft for another few days.
Below are some ideas that worked for me. You can also put an immersion blender into anything to semi-mash it.
Big thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I will start to make a list so I can stock up cupboards, fridge and freezer with relevant items. At the initial consultation the surgeon did mention ‘no alcohol’ and I was like .
My first two (right side upper and lower) were fairly easy. My jaw muscles spasmed, so I could talk normally, but couldn’t open my mouth very wide. I was well enough to go to the state fair with my bestie, and we howled laughing when I realized that the only way I would manage the giant onion rings would be to tear them and eat them like a ribbon. No significant pain, no dry socket. (I was also 24, so still in the realm of fast healing!)
Silly me expected the left side to be the same.
The lower one became a dry socket (excruciating) and fate dealt the cruel hand of getting food poisoning from an order of egg drop soup. I thought I would have to get better to die!
Okay, I have to share a story - not at all about the recovery from oral surgery, but a funny aside.
As I mentioned, I had my wisdom teeth out in the hospital under general anesthesia. I was 21, home for winter break during my senior year of college. My dad, who was a dentist, had taken me to the hospital. When I woke up in the recovery room, it took a while for my brain to ‘reboot’ and so I was listening to what was going on around me. There was a conversation going on in the bay next to me where a medical person was telling her patient, who’d presumably had a colonoscopy, “Mr. x, you will feel much better if you roll onto your side and try to expel some of the air that was pumped into your colon.” My foggy brain thought this was hysterical. When they let my dad in, I had to tell him: “dad, she’s telling him to [slang for pass gas]” - but with a numb face and a mouthful of gauze, it came out as “daaa, seeeee tehhhh hiiiii faaaaaaahhhhrrr”. My dad, being a dentist, knew exactly what I was trying to say. (he didn’t find it as funny as I did, however.)
What NOT to eat - lettuce or similar salad greens - not able to adequately chew without full use of back teeth. And to my surprise: ground beef - which had been in my planned /prepared meals. But dental assistant said that was particularly prone to sticking where it shouldn’t.
A blendered Easter meal worked – separately pureed ham, sweet potato, devilled egg, peach
I had the top two wisdom teeth out at the same time. Lower ones one two separate occasions.
Since yours is only on one side, you should be able to chew gently on the opposite side.
Definitely soft foods like yogurt, applesauce, mac and cheese with really soft noodles (the frozen Stouffer’s worked for me), rich broth, etc. I wasn’t hungry for the first day when I had the top two out, but after that I was RAVENOUS! I had two McD cheeseburgers, squished into little bites that I chewed in my front teeth like a crazed rabbit.
But the point is, you’ll need to get nutrition in you to heal. So whatever is comfortable for you to eat, go for it. Nothing too hot or too cold, and it’s the straw that makes the liquids a problem.
I hope it goes well and that you heal quickly
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(he didn’t find it as funny as I did, however.)
