After wisdom teeth removal, soft, nutrient-rich foods help ease discomfort and support recovery. Avoid spicy, crunchy, chewy, or sticky foods, as well as hot drinks and straws, which can disrupt your mouth’s healing. Follow your dentist’s instructions and ask when it’s safe to return to your usual diet.
Blended butternut squash soup is nutritious and easy on your healing mouth.
cglade / Getty Images
Broths and blended soups are gentle on your mouth and provide hydration and nutrients that support healing. Chicken, beef, and vegetable broths offer fluids, protein, and minerals that help you stay energized and promote tissue repair.
Blended soups, like butternut squash soup, are smooth, easy to swallow, and may be more filling than broth alone. Avoid tomato-based soup, which may be too acidic.
Always serve broths and soups lukewarm or cool to avoid irritating your tender gums.
Mashed potatoes offer a more filling option.
Cris Cantón / Getty Images
Mashed fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and promote tissue repair to support healing. You can mash soft fruits with a fork or boil vegetables until softened, and then mash them into a smooth texture. Consider options such as:
- Potatoes: Potatoes provide energy-rich carbohydrates. You can also add butter or olive oil to help meet your body’s caloric needs.
- Avocado: This fruit is creamy and full of heart-healthy fats, vitamin E, and potassium, which support cell repair and immune health.
- Bananas: Naturally sweet and easy to digest, bananas are high in potassium, which helps maintain fluid balance and muscle function during recovery.
- Pumpkin: Rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A), vitamin C, and fiber to support immune function and healing. You can add a small amount of cinnamon for flavor.
- Carrots: Carrots are a great source of vitamin A and antioxidants that help heal tissue. Mash with butter or mild herbs like parsley for a flavor boost.
Applesauce is a classic option to consider.
hapabapa / Getty Images
Applesauce is a perfect recovery food after wisdom teeth removal. It’s smooth, requires no chewing, and provides vitamin C and fiber. The cool temperature may also soothe sore gums.
Gelatin requires no chewing, making it an ideal food after wisdom tooth removal.
instamatics / Getty Images
Gelatin and pudding are popular treats after oral surgery. Gelatin creates a soft, jiggly texture that’s easy to digest. It’s found in foods like Jell-O and other flavored gel desserts, and its protein content may also support tissue repair.
With a creamy texture that makes it easy to swallow, pudding can help satisfy sweet cravings without irritating your mouth. Puddings also provide small amounts of protein and calcium. Instant mixes and pre-packaged puddings are quick to prepare and convenient when you’re recovering and low on energy.
Greek yogurt is not only a soft food, but offers protein.
Mizina / Getty Images
Greek yogurt is an excellent recovery food because it’s smooth and high in protein, which may support healing. It also contains beneficial probiotics that may help prevent infection.
Plant-based yogurts made from coconut, almond, or soy offer similar benefits and are also gentle on healing gums.
Scrambled eggs are also high in protein.
2Mmedia / Getty Images
Scrambled eggs are packed with protein, which is essential for tissue repair and supports the healing process. Cook the eggs thoroughly with added milk or butter, but don’t allow them to become dry. You can add finely shredded cheese that will melt completely into the eggs for added nutrition.
Ice cream and sherbet have the added benefit of being cooling and soothing.
Magone / Getty Images
Soft frozen treats like ice cream and sherbet can soothe sore gums and may help reduce swelling after oral surgery. Avoid varieties with mix-ins like nuts or candy pieces that could irritate your mouth. Plant-based alternatives such as coconut, almond, oat milk ice creams, and fruit sherbets are also good options if you are vegan or on a dairy-free diet.
Skip the straw on your beverages, smoothies, and milkshakes.
Artsanova / Getty Images
Smoothies and milkshakes are a great way to stay hydrated and nourished when chewing is difficult. Use ingredients like milk and yogurt and blend in soft fruits like bananas, mangoes, or peaches for added nutrition. Avoid berries with small seeds, such as raspberries and blackberries, because the seeds can get stuck in the extraction sites and increase the risk of irritation or infection.
Skip the straw and sip your smoothie or milkshake from the glass for about a week after surgery. The suction from a straw can dislodge blood clots, leading to dry socket, a painful condition that exposes nerves and bone.
Be sure to choose smooth hummus, without chunky toppings.
Peter Blottman Photography / Getty Images
Hummus is a protein-rich, creamy spread made from chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans. It contains carbohydrates and healthy fats that provide energy and support healing. Eat it plain with a spoon or use it as a dip for soft bread that doesn’t require much chewing. Choose smooth varieties, without chunky ingredients like whole chickpeas, pine nuts, or vegetables.
You can make instant oatmeal more flavorful with butter and honey.
pamela_d_mcadams / Getty Images
Oatmeal is a nutritious and filling option that’s rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which sustain energy and health while your diet is limited. Instant oatmeal has the softest texture and needs minimal chewing. Allow the oatmeal to cool to a lukewarm temperature before eating. You can add flavor with honey, maple syrup, or mashed seedless fruit.
Quinoa can be cooked soft.
Anastasia Dobrusina / Getty Images
When cooked well, quinoa is a soft grain that provides protein, fiber, and amino acids that support tissue repair. It is one of the few grains suitable for consumption after wisdom teeth removal. Rinse the grains thoroughly before cooking and ensure the quinoa is extra soft to reduce the need to chew. Stir with mashed avocado or parsley for added flavor.
Some fish may be delicate enough to eat after several days of healing.
LauriPatterson / Getty Images
Once your gums begin healing, you can add softer solid foods like fish to your diet. Soft, flaky fish is a tasty protein that is easier to chew than meats like beef or chicken.
Choose boneless options like tilapia, cod, haddock, or salmon. Steam, bake, or poach the fish to keep it soft and moist.
Some foods can irritate or puncture your healing gums or get stuck in the wound. Avoid these foods during the first week or until your dentist says it’s safe to resume a regular diet:
- Spicy foods: Spices can irritate tender gums and cause discomfort. Avoid hot sauces, peppers, and heavily seasoned dishes until you’re fully healed.
- Hard and crunchy foods: Foods like chips, crackers, popcorn, nuts, and raw vegetables require force to chew and can damage healing gums or become lodged in the wounds. Skip these items until your dentist gives you clearance.
- Chewy foods: Foods that require a lot of chewing, such as meats, candy, or bagels, can strain your jaw or injure sore gums, prolonging healing.
- Grains, seeds, and nuts: Small particles from grains, seeds, and nuts can easily get stuck in extraction sites, increasing the risk of infection. Avoid seeded breads, granola, rice, and similar foods.
- Sticky foods: Sticky foods like gum, caramel, and gummy candies can pull on the healing tissue and are difficult to remove from your mouth.
- Drinks that are alcoholic, carbonated, or caffeinated: Alcohol can trigger inflammation and delay healing. Caffeinated drinks can delay bone healing, and carbonated beverages like soda may dislodge blood clots and lead to dry socket.
- Citrus foods: Oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, and other acidic foods can irritate tender gums.
