Having one or more teeth removed is never fun. Most dentists will try to save your teeth – whether you see an in-house provider or a specialist
such as an endodontist, periodontist, or oral surgeon. It’s great if all of those specialists are within the same dental practice so that it will save you a trip.
Why do teeth need to be removed?
In simple terms, teeth are removed because they fail in your mouth. Maybe the root(s) have become too weak after one or more root canals or over time. Perhaps due to infection (aka abscess), the tooth has suffered bone loss. Maybe a specific area of the mouth experienced
injury or trauma, causing the teeth in the area to loosen.
Before you make any decisions about your teeth, you may want to consult other dental offices for a second opinion.
If it is determined that you’ll need your teeth removed, you’ll want to take some steps to ensure on the day of your extraction that your body is in optimal shape; after all, it’s still surgery even if you do not visit a hospital.
One advisable thing is to head out to the grocery store before your appointment and get any items you’ll need post-surgery. You do not want to go to the store after having dental surgery.
You may not be up to eating after your surgery, however, so we’ve compiled a list of the best liquids to have after one or more tooth extractions:
1) Water: Good old water. Our bodies are roughly 60% water. So hydration post-dental surgery is essential because it will help the tissue of the surgical site heal.
2) Soups/Broths: Your body will need vitamins and nutrients post-surgery. You will get hungry, and drinking (really sipping) broth is good. Many patients love the idea of Bone Broth as it has some level of collagen properties to it. Just make sure the broth isn’t too hot, and if there are
ingredients in the soup, make sure they are ultra soft.
3) Smoothies: Smoothies are also a great way to make sure you get your nutrients and vitamins post-surgery. It’s good to have fruit smoothies after 24 hours, once the surgery site has healed a bit (some fruits can be highly acidic). But remember—no straws. No suction is a rule
of thumb regarding liquid intake post-oral surgery.
4) Yogurt/Keifer: This one has a double benefit. Not only does yogurt contain some nourishment to help keep you full, but it will also help your gut/flora regrow, as the antibiotics you’ll most likely be prescribed will kill them in their effort to kill any infection. Many yogurts on
the market today have some live culture/probiotic types. The most common are Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.
5) Milkshakes: Again, no straws! Ice cream is cold and can be soothing to the tongue or mouth, especially after surgery.
As long as the milkshake is puréed well and eaten with a spoon, milkshakes are good to enjoy post-surgery. Again, no straws!
6) Teas (caffeine free): Teas can be great but should be caffeine free. By nature, caffeine is a diuretic, which means it has water-losing effects on the body, which is not what you want while you heal.
Feeling Liquids are not satisfying you? If you’re looking for soft and semi-soft foods, you can always check out our article on 23 foods to eat after oral surgery.
As always, you should consult with your dentist or oral surgeon if you’re not sure what to eat/drink or if you have excessive bleeding, unbearable pain, or anything else that is a concern post oral surgery.
DeJesus Dental Group operates two dental practices in Fairfield County. One in Shelton, on River Rd (next to The Sports Center) and the other on the Bridgeport/Trumbull Line (just up from the Westfield Mall). Depending on your diagnosis, we can extract a tooth, refer you to one
of our in-house providers or send you to one of our trusted oral surgeons.