Wisdom teeth removal is a very painful process and until the wound has healed, it might not be advisable to eat some foods like cereals with hard bits in them which may damage the stitches being done to heal the wound.
It is best to wait for a couple of days after the surgery before you have anything solid. Also, it would be essential that your dentist or oral surgeon give you guidelines about what kind of food items are safe to eat and ask him/her if you can have cereal after the surgery.
If he/she gives you permission to eat cereals, make sure that it is either cooked or easy-to-chew ones like Cheerios. There are other ready-made cereal products available in markets that are softer and easier on your teeth than others like marshmallows (marshmallow fluff, for instance).
What cereals can I eat after wisdom teeth removal?
After having your wisdom teeth removed you may experience some facial swelling, pain, and discomfort. This makes it difficult to chew hard foods like some cereals which contain raw oats or raisins that might hurt the wound site while trying to bite on them.
If it’s too early, chewing even soft foods like cereal might be painful and cause bleeding. Also, there are certain cereals/foods which are easier on your teeth than others like marshmallows (e.g., marshmallow fluff). Therefore, it would be best to keep away from certain foods or wait until your dentist says it’s okay before you start munching on anything solid.
You may be able to eat some healthful foods like fruits and vegetables if you are not taking any medication for pain. However, make sure that they are soft items that do not have chunky pieces or seeds in them.
These days there are many brands of cereal that contain no hard grains at all so if your surgeon permits you to have cereal, these are the best option.
Be sure to check with your dentist before having anything solid for meals. If otherwise, you might end up damaging the stitches and causing more trouble than you were in before your wisdom teeth came out.
After a tooth extraction, liquid soups like tomato soups and other purees are also good choices because they do not require chewing and have no pieces that could become trapped in the sockets. Protein shakes and smoothies made with milk or juice and
some protein powder can provide nutrition. Do not use a straw to drink your smoothie or any beverage because the suction can dislodge the clots that form over the exposed sockets. As most people will be feeling very tender after the surgery it is best to stick to really soft foods. The following foods can be consumed the entire way through your recovery. Note: Immediately following surgery no hot foods should be consumed
as your face will still be numb and you may burn yourself. Wait at least an hour prior to attempting warm foods. Any foods that require no chewingBest foods to eat after teeth removal (0 – 2 days)
Food to eat after teeth extraction (2 – 5 days)
You should be able to start returning hot food items to the menu by the second day as the blood clots will be more stable and less likely to restart bleeding.
Any foods that require minimal chewing.
- Bread
- Yogurt (frozen or normal) – Including fruit bits
- Pasta
- Noodles
- Soft vegetables – Including hot mashed potatoes
- Ground beef
- Chicken
- Mince products (Lasagna)
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Soups
Final recovery period (> 5 Days)
At this point in time you will likely be starting to feel ready to test out your mouth on some different foods. Depending on how easily your teeth came out will depend on how easy eating harder foods will go. Remember – this is only a guide and if you don’t feel comfortable eating the suggested foods then please continue with the previous stage for longer.
In this stage feel free to eat anything you are comfortable with.
Los Angeles, CA
A male asked:
Can i have cereal with almond milk after an upper wisdom tooth extraction? the cereal is honey bunches of oats. what about yougurt with fruit in it?
5 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in
Oral &Maxillofacial Surgery 19 years experience
That is fine: Yes that is fine. Usually for the first two days, patients are on a liquid diet. Then a soft diet for the next 3-4 days. Do not eat any hot and spicy foods.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 46 years experience
Yes: A light soft diet is recommended for a few days after an extraction. You can then return to a normal diet. Just avoid chewing directly in the area where the tooth was removed and rinse with warm salt water after meals.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 27 years experience
Wisdom tooth: I would stay away from chewing and crunchy things for 4-5 days. Yogurt and fruits are good.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Softer at first: It depends on how long post-op you are, avoid anything really crunchy in the first couple of days and after that, avoid anything that feels uncomfortable. As time goes on, you will gradually return to normal eating options. If something gets lodged in the extraction socket the risk is in removing it that you may disturb the healing process if it is too soon, post-op.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Cosmetic Dentistry 34 years experience
Soft diet at first.: After any extraction i would recommend a softer diet until the gum heals and closes the hole. Honey bunches of oats is too hard and if it gets into the extraction socket it is likely to cause pain. Anything that breaks into hard, sharp pieces is not a good idea. Yogurt w/ fruit should be fine.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Aug 8, 2019
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