Foods to Avoid After Oral Surgery

These are all big no-no’s!

• very hot/very cold
• acidic foods such as: citrus and tomatoes
• seeds (sesame, caraway, poppy) and nuts
• foods that are hard and crumbly: popcorn, chips, crackers
• sticky or chewy foods that would cause you to open your mouth wide

For a week following your surgery, do not use a straw for anything. If you have a smoothie or a shake, for example, use a spoon or just drink from the cup. The suction will prevent your body from forming and keeping blood clots. Blood clots are also important in preventing dry socket. Dry socket is a painful condition where the clot wasn’t allowed to form, exposing the underlying bone.

You Can Do It!

We’ve had fun talking about the diet you’ll be on while you heal, but in all seriousness, it is a crucial part of your post op care. You wouldn’t throw a ball after shoulder surgery or do sit ups after having your appendix out, would you? Chewing hard or tough foods will put a strain on the surgery site, causing it to reopen, or your implant to become irritated and fail. Small, crumbly foods could get trapped in holes that haven’t had a chance to heal, fester and become an infection.

Allow your body to use all it’s resources to heal strong and quickly. Stressing it out by making it harder to heal will only increase your chances for a difficult or failed post surgery.

Now go forth and cook and create and mix and match! With a little luck and a whole lot of creativity your soft food phase will fly right by.