Wisdom Teeth Being Removed--What to eat?

[Grog]

I don't know what I'm getting but I just really hope I don't feel the cracking or yanking...yuck!

If they are putting you out you won't feel a thing. They hooked me up to an IV and I was out in just a few seconds. It felt like I was out for less than a minute when they woke me up, but I found out I had been out for almost an hour.

 

[aprilgail2]

I was still living at home with mom and dad when I had all four of mine pulled at the same time. My mother kept me doped up on Percocet for four days straight... great method of dealing with the pain if you can do it! Plus I didn't have much recollection of my looking like a chipmunk! I lived on Carnation Instant Breakfast for a while... jello was workable. There's always soup. Good luck!

Same here! Having my 4 wisdom teeth out as once was WAY more painful than my c-section or any other surgery I have had in my life! It is the only time I have taken any type of pain meds! I remember just drinking carnation breakfast drink for about a week- I couldn't eat anything at all! My mouth was so swollen and sore I could barely open it to even drink!

 

[JenM]

I'm so glad I keep finding wisdom teeth threads on here too. I'm getting 3 of mine out on Tuesday. One started growing out the wrong way and cut up my cheek, which got infected and made my gums swell up, which was so painful I could barely open my mouth, let alone eat.

I've been on antibiotics for nearly a week, and while it's better and I can eat a little again, my wisdom teeth like they did when I first started having problems about two weeks ago and right now I'm ready to just have them all ripped out and be done with it.

My refrigerator is filled with lots of Jello (pudding and gelatin), yogurt, and Slim Fast shakes (they really helped last weekend when I couldn't eat). I also have mashed potatoes and mac & cheese.

I think I'm ready, but I can't wait for it to be over.

 

[Syrreal]

It will really depend on your dentist and what they tell you. When I had mine taken out I only had to eat cool/cold foods on the 1st day. I had ice cream and some lukewarm soup. By the 2nd day I was supposed to eat normal food.

DH had his taken out last year, all 4 too. I believe that he only had to eat soft foodd for a day or two also. He did get a dry socket and that sucked (both for him and me LOL) but it went away pretty quick after. He only had to get it packed once and they also showed him how to take care of it.

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

I had my braces put on about 2 weeks ago, so I'm all about the soft foods diet. My typical menu is:

Mashed potatoes
Oatmeal
scrambled eggs
well cooked pasta (throw in some feta and italian dressing for a nice cold meal)
cottage cheese (get the Doubles w/ fruit! )
Yogurt
soft rice
Miso soup w/ tofu
broth/chick. noodle soup

Lots of fast food places now have some really nice smoothies. And be prepared for some major weight loss.

Good luck!

 

[dolPhinlovEr83]

What is a dry socket??

 

[aprilgail2]

Not only should you not use a straw but you should not smoke for days after an extraction!


Definition
Like with root canal, the thought of dry socket probably sends chills down your spine. Even if you've never had this condition, you may wince in sympathetic pain as a relative or co-worker recounts his or her tale of dry socket. Although dry socket can indeed be painful, the condition has taken on frightening proportions that may not match reality.

Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) is a dental condition that occurs when the blood clot at the site of a tooth extraction is dislodged, exposing underlying bone and nerves and causing increasing pain. It's the most common complication following tooth extractions, such as the removal of impacted wisdom teeth. But with proper postoperative dental care and avoidance of risk factors, dry socket often can be prevented. When it does occur, treatment usually provides immediate relief.
Symptoms
Dry socket is a condition that sometimes occurs after a tooth extraction. It has several tell-tale signs and symptoms, including:

Partial or total loss of the blood clot at the extraction site, which you may notice as an empty-looking (dry) socket
Visible bone in the socket
Pain that increases between one and three days after tooth extraction and that typically becomes severe and unrelenting
Pain that radiates from the socket to your ear or eye on the same side of your face
Bad breath or a foul odor coming from your mouth
Unpleasant taste in your mouth
Swollen lymph nodes around your jaw or neck

Causes
Normally, a blood clot forms at the site of a tooth extraction. This blood clot serves as a protective layer over the underlying bone and nerve endings in the empty tooth socket. The clot provides the foundation for the growth of new tissue and bone.

In some cases, though, the clot doesn't form properly or is physically dislodged before complete healing. With the clot gone, bone and nerves in the socket are exposed to air, fluids and food. This can cause intense pain, not only in the socket but also along the nerves radiating to the ear and eye on the same side of your face.

But the precise cause of dry socket remains the subject of study. Some researchers believe that several issues may be at play, including:

Bacterial contamination of the socket
Difficult or traumatic tooth extraction surgery
Roots or bone fragments remaining in the wound after surgery
Dry socket occurs in about 3 percent to 5 percent of all tooth extractions, but it's much more common after extraction of wisdom teeth and impacted wisdom teeth in particular.

Risk factors
Certain factors can increase your risk of developing dry socket after a tooth extraction. These include:

Smoking and tobacco use. Chemicals in cigarettes or other forms of tobacco may contaminate the wound site. In addition, the act of sucking on a cigarette may physically dislodge the blood clot prematurely.
Taking oral contraceptives. High levels of estrogen can greatly increase the risk of dry socket by dissolving the blood clot.
Not following post-extraction guidelines. If after oral surgery you don't follow instructions, such as avoiding certain foods or caring for your wound properly, your risk of dry socket increases.
You've had dry socket in the past. Having dry socket once means you're more likely to develop it again.
Tooth or gum infection. Current or previous infections around the tooth to be extracted increase the risk of dry socket.
Less experience. Although dry socket can occur with even the most experienced dentists and oral surgeons, having a less experienced dentist or oral surgeon may increase your risk.

 

[dolPhinlovEr83]

Wow!!! Maybe I shouldn't have asked...ouch! Definitely will be extremely careful!! Thanks for the info!

 

[MaryJ]

When my DD's had braces, their orthodontist gave us this recipe for them to eat after their braces had been tightened. They also used it after their wisdom teeth had been removed.

Orthodontic Milkshake

1 envelope Carnation Instant Breakfast (any flavor)
1 banana
1 cup milk
2 cups ice cream

Blend first 3 ingredients in blender. Add ice cream and blend.


As a previous poster remarked, Do not use a straw to drink this. It will be thick and could cause bleeding. Sometimes my DD's would eat it with a spoon.

 

[Mom2Nick]

WARNING!!! Do NOT use a straw! Doing so will dramatically increase your risk of a dry socket, the world's most painful condition, which can last up to 2 weeks (and you will have to visit your surgeon daily for packing, to help with the pain).

Scrambled eggs - ate them every day after the dry socket (which caused me to lose 14 pounds in 2 weeks).

I had that too! UG!

I lived on oatmeal, cream of wheat, eggs and pastina for almost 3 weeks.

 

[Laura]

mashed sweet potatoes
Add some butter, brown sugar and cinnamon--yum!

 

[jumoo044]

Before I had my wisdom teeth out, I made myself a big ol' batch of grape nut pudding. Yum!

 

[dolPhinlovEr83]

Thanks for all of the info guys!! Today's the big day! 4.5 hours left ('deep breaths') I'll be back as my new identity: Chipmunk Cheeks!

 

[dolPhinlovEr83]

All done! dr. was phenomenal. I never even was told t open my mouth before being knocked out! All I know is I was being woken up with a mouth full of gauze. Now I eat like a duck, take in some ice crea,m, lean head back and swallow. Had some pain but vicadin took care o fthat and have been sleeping on and off. Still have a numb bottom lip and chin but no biggie. All in all, easy process and now just making suure I take all my meds (vicadin, penicillin, steroids for inflammation, and antibiotic rinse). Seriously, to anyne having this (all 4 at once) don't worry about it, its really not bad.

Oh, and apparently, from the xrays the 4 teeth were severely impacted. Pretty cool to see!

 

[bigtinkfun]

Bless your heart! I know how you feel. I had 4 impacted wisdom teeth taken out, all at once, under local anesthetic almost 30 years ago. No percocet, nothing but aspirin for the pain. It was the stone age of pain management. I ate nothing but ice cream for a solid week. Then I graduated to ice cream with chocolate chips in it so I could practice chewing.

I found that sticking to cold foods helped dull the pain and reduce inflammation.

I recommend ice cream, sherbet, italian ices, sorbet, popsicles...you get the idea.

And I hope you recover quickly!

 

[dolPhinlovEr83]

Thanks, but when do u know when ur ready for solid foods?? I literally just woke up (sleeping pattern is totally out of whack from pills) and don't have much pain, but forgot to take my vycadin tonight. Does that mean speedy recovery or it will hit in a bit?? Please keep in mind, I've never even had toothache in my life, so this is all new for me!

 

[dolPhinlovEr83]

I'm probably being a pain right now, but I woke up throughout the night. At around 6 am, I took my vicodin, penicillin, and steroids. That knocked me out and now I just woke up. My stitches are already coming out!!! Is this normal?? I just had the wisdom teeth removed yesterday at around 1:00 in the afternoon. I'm kinda worried why they're coming out so early.

 

[polineedyan]

The things I had difficulty with for awhile were anything crunchy (would hurt the holes..) and hamburger. I couldnt eat hamburger meat for a long time, because it would go into the holes, and I just couldnt get it OUT. I know its gross, but you ASKED!!

 

[polineedyan]

I'm probably being a pain right now, but I woke up throughout the night. At around 6 am, I took my vicodin, penicillin, and steroids. That knocked me out and now I just woke up. My stitches are already coming out!!! Is this normal?? I just had the wisdom teeth removed yesterday at around 1:00 in the afternoon. I'm kinda worried why they're coming out so early.

Seems I remember one of mine coming out right away too. That was the hole that took the longest to close up. But, I would call for sure..

 

[dolPhinlovEr83]

OH man, cuz I have egg drop soup to eat for today and you know those crunchy noodles u get from the chinese take-out with soup?? I love those and they're just sitting with my soup! Poor noodles may have to wait a while Thanks for the reply, guess I'll just have to wait and see. Do you knw anything about the stitches question before your post??