Depending on what type of treatment you receive, oral surgery may require a couple weeks of healing time before you’re ready to resume your normal routine. One of the most common questions that we receive is how long it takes until you can eat solid food without having to worry about causing any pain or damage to the surgery site.
Why You Can’t Eat Solid Food After Oral Surgery
Dental tissue is soft and sensitive. When we’ve gone through oral surgery, like a wisdom tooth extraction, chances are we are leaving an area of our mouths vulnerable and exposed. Not to mention, our jaws may be sore from the surgery, and it can be difficult to eat or even talk while we recover. This is why we don’t recommend that you eat solid foods after oral surgery. Not only does it increase your risk of developing an infection if food particles get stuck in the surgery site, but it also can be difficult to even eat at all.
What to Eat Instead
One of the advantages of recovering from oral surgery is that we actually recommend that you eat soft foods that you probably normally wouldn’t eat large quantities of, like ice cream, Jello and mashed potatoes. Soups may also be okay as long as they are not too hot.
The best news is that you don’t have to keep up with this soft food diet for very long, either. Normally, you should avoid solid food for just 24 hours after your oral surgery, after which it may be okay to eat it again.
It’s very important to talk to your dentist about specific eating instructions, as it depends on the type of treatment that you have received as well as your own individual healing time. But remember, it’s always best to err on the side of caution instead of causing any damage!
If you have any questions about restorative or cosmetic procedures, along with what the healing time for any of these treatments look like, contact us today at Dental Solutions of Columbus! We look forward to seeing you!