Avoid These 6 Foods Following a Dental Procedure

After a dental operation, your surgical area will be tender for days to weeks afterward. To allow the wound to heal, you will need to limit your diet to soft foods that will not cause bleeding or irritation.

Here are 6 foods you should avoid after undergoing a dental procedure.

1. Crunchy Snacks

Avoid crunchy foods such as chips, crackers, popcorn, and pretzels until your mouth heals. Brittle pieces of hard foods can poke and irritate the area of surgery and make the risk of infection higher.

Soft, easy-to-chew foods are better for a few days to a week following surgery.

2. Spicy Foods

The powerful flavor of spicy food that you normally enjoy is not something you should consume after dental surgery. Spices are irritating and can get into your surgical wound.

If you avoid spicy meals, your mouth will heal more quickly and allow you to eat your favorite foods again sooner.

3. Tough Meat

Most meats are difficult to chew after undergoing surgery. It is best to avoid fibrous, tough meats such as steak until your mouth heals.

If you eat meat during the first few days of recovery, make sure it is soft and cut into small pieces that are easy to chew.

4. Citrus

While fruits are a healthy alternative to sweets, citrus fruits such as grapefruit and oranges are best to avoid after surgery.

Citrus is high in acidity, which can irritate your mouth while it heals. Fruits such as pears, peaches, nectarines, and bananas are good choices during the first week of recovery.

5. Nuts

Almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts are a few foods that you should wait on until you recover from your dental procedure.

Nuts can become brittle and sharp as you chew them and may poke your mouth. It is best to avoid any hard food so that you won’t irritate the surgical area.

6. Hot Foods and Beverages

After surgery, you should not eat or drink hot foods or beverages. Too much heat will hurt your mouth and slow the healing process.

Follow your surgeon’s recommendation on how long you should stick to cool or medium-temperature food and drinks.

Conclusion

Some of the foods you eat every day could negatively impact your recovery after dental surgery.

When recovering from a surgical procedure, make sure that you follow your surgeon’s instructions closely. Being patient and eating soft foods in the meantime will help your mouth heal quickly so that you can return to your former diet in no time.

Do you need dental surgery in LA? Contact us at Jackson Oral Surgery to schedule an appointment.