For a lot of common oral surgeries like impacted teeth removal, impacted root canal or wisdom teeth removal, you will slowly able to start eating fibrous and crunchy foods around a week after the operation. However, in some cases like multiple impacted teeth, the person may have to eat only soft or liquid foods for at least 6 weeks.
Recovery can be complicated and lengthy – depending on the procedure. You shouldn’t be fretting about your diet at this point. Forget about calorie counts and nutrition labels and focus on giving your body nutrients while it heals. These are some of the most ideal foods to eat while recovering from oral surgery:
1. Fresh smoothies
A lot of people will suggest that you stock up on ice-cream for milkshakes, but chances of you being on strong antibiotics are high. This could, therefore, result in your gut microbiome becoming damaged. You should be able to sooth your gums and stabilize the health of your gut with the help of smoothies mixed with probiotic-rich yogurt.
Try to add Greek yogurt in your smoothies. Mix it with sweet additives like banana, cocoa powder and frozen fruit to reduce the tanginess. The likelihood of you using a straw is very slim, so add a lot of milk or some water to make sure consistency is thin.
2. Soups and canned broths
Soups are ideal to eat after oral surgery, but this doesn’t apply to all soups. For example, chicken noodle soup seems like a good choice, but the chunky parts of the meal might cause problems since you will likely still be feeling pain when you move your jaw. For people having difficulty swallowing soups, they can use a thickener like SimplyThick Easy Mix to improve the consistency and make it easier to swallow.
During the initial days after the surgery, make use of a strainer to remove the noodles from the soup. After chopping or blending them, you can add them back to the soup or broth so you can be able to swallow without issues. You can decide to cook the soup from scratch, which will hand you more control over the ingredients you’d like to add.
3. Eggs
Eggs are incredibly suitable for this. The most ideal kind of egg to eat after oral surgery is scrambled eggs. Stir your eggs till they’re a bit firmed, mix in your preferred cheese and serve on a plate. While cooling down, they will continue to cook. It is a delicious and healthy choice.
4. Cheese
Another good probiotics source is cheese. If you’re looking for something to snack on post-surgery, soft cheese is recommended. You will likely be able to swallow little pieces. Shredded cheese can also be a good addition to most of the meals you will eat during your recovery.
5. Oatmeal
If you’re tired of eating eggs, another breakfast option to consider is instant oatmeal. You shouldn’t prepare steel-cut oats as they’re difficult to swallow. Instead, try to choose a recipe that will produce softer oatmeal. You can add mashed blueberries or bananas to give it a unique taste.