What to Eat and What to Avoid After a Tooth Extraction in Glendale, CA
Do you know what’s one dental procedure we all want to avoid when we step into the dentist’s office? If you answered “tooth extraction” in your mind, then you’re correct! After all, it’s a hassle getting a tooth removed. You’ll talk funny, it might take plenty of time depending on how strong your tooth is, and you might even be woozy after the procedure. And you know the worst part? You’re going to have to avoid certain foods for a period of time until your mouth recovers! Okay, before you get all afraid of getting this procedure done for any reason, here’s one thing to calm you down: you don’t need to starve after a tooth has been pulled out. You can still eat some foods; you just have to stop yourself from eating others. And before you go wondering what kind of foods those are, you don’t need to look for any list or do multiple searches online – just keep on reading this article!
Do you really need to get a tooth extraction?
So let’s say you feel some excruciating pain from a tooth, so you get yourself to an emergency dental clinic. The dentist looks over your mouth and tells you that you need to get a tooth pulled out. And as mentioned above, it’s a procedure that plenty of us dread, right? So is there any way to avoid doing it at all? Well, if your dentist told you that you need to have your tooth removed, it could be one of these possible reasons:
- Your tooth is infected, damaged, or even decayed beyond repair.
- Your tooth can no longer be repaired with a crown or dental filling due to trauma because of an accident or tooth decay.
- Your decayed or damaged tooth may lead you to get an infection.
- You have wisdom teeth growing, or your wisdom teeth are blocking additional tooth growth – that means they have to be removed.
- Your mouth might also need room for teeth to be moved into place with the use of braces.
Think of tooth extraction this way: it’s a necessary procedure to make sure you don’t run into any serious health issues.
Fine. Can the tooth extraction at least be delayed for a while?
You might need a tooth extraction as recommended by the dentist, but you might have a lot of things scheduled. Plus, maybe you can just manage the pain with antibiotics or painkillers, right? Can’t you just delay the procedure first? Well, it’s up to you, but as any dentist will tell you, whether they are in emergency dental care or otherwise, it’s not really a good idea. Why? The worst that can possibly happen is that you already have gum disease, which is destroying the bone around your tooth. This disease is actually irreversible. Therefore, waiting too long to get tooth extraction can result in bone loss that can also affect your otherwise healthy teeth. Plus, you might also get infected, which as you know, won’t just affect your oral health. An infection can bring you down as a whole with fever and other sicknesses. You might also get bad breath, which is minor compared to infection, but it’s still not a good thing to have. In other words, it is best to get that tooth extracted as soon as possible so you won’t be unnecessarily uncomfortable. Plus, you won’t find yourself spending more on expensive procedures, nor will you have damaged teeth. Those are both good things, right?
Okay, so what foods do you have to avoid after tooth extraction?
What foods are you allowed to eat after tooth extraction?
- Jell-O. The soft texture of this food means it’s easy to chew and eat. Eat as much as you want without fear of damaging your gums.
- Ice cream. Since it’s cold, it will help numb the pain of the extraction when the anesthesia wears off. Just make sure it doesn’t contain crunchy or chewy pieces.
- Smoothies. Select your favorite fruits, and add some yogurt. Enjoy! Just make sure not to drink through a straw!
- Scrambled eggs. They’re also easy to chew. Plus, they’re high in protein which helps in recovery. Don’t eat these hot, though.
- Cold soup. This not only adds flavor to what you’re eating, but it will also help you keep hydrated. Just make sure there are no thick chunks of meat or vegetables.
- Mashed or pureed foods. You need to make sure you’re getting the nutrients your body needs, so if you can mash or puree fruits and vegetables, do it!