13 Foods to eat after wisdom teeth extraction

I recently had my wisdom teeth extracted on Friday night and let me tell you, it wasn’t a pleasant experience! Seeing the dentist never is though. I would’ve thought that humans would have evolved by now, as we no longer require this third set of molars, which not only gives us pain and empties our pockets, but also stops us from eating our favourite foods!

After my wisdom teeth extraction (where I chose to have them extracted in the chair with just the normal anaesthetic in the mouth), not only did my face swell to make me look more like a puffer fish/chipmunk for the next three days, I was limited to a liquid and soft food diet – and as a foodie, this was not a joyous occasion! Nothing crunchy for at least a week? How will I survive not eating crisps, hard cheese, chips or even that juicy and succulent steak?!

And then being told you need to avoid anything spicy and citric – there goes my chilli addiction and orange juice!

So, apart from living off soup, what else can you eat when you have your wisdom teeth extracted to ensure no little bits get stuck in those newly formed gaps in your gums? Here are some of the foods I ended up living off which doesn’t require any chewing.

13 Foods to eat after wisdom teeth extraction

Banana smoothies – As well as getting one of your five a day, smoothies are really easy to eat and drink when you have your wisdom teeth extracted. Just remember not to use a straw as the suction can remove clots, make healing lengthier due to creating dry sockets. I stuck to banana smoothies (one banana, glass of milk, scoop of vanilla ice cream and a squeeze of honey all blended together!). Of course, you can use any type of fruit available depending on the season. Mango and strawberry smoothies are equally as good and refreshing.
Jelly – Now I’ve not had jelly for years – maybe uni days, but that included vodka back then! Being on antibiotics means that vodka is a big no this time, but jelly is really easy to make. Just empty the contents of the packet of your favourite flavoured jelly (strawberry in my case), add boiling water and stir then add cold water and fridge it for four hours until it solidifies. Eat on its own and carefully slurp it down or add some ice cream or yoghurt.
Macaroni Cheese – I love cheese, and one way of still being able to eat it is by making a wonderful homemade cheese sauce and creating macaroni cheese. This is great to eat as the macaroni is small enough to eat and if you overcook the pasta then it remains soft, literally sliding down your throat. It’s really easy to make and can provide you with a few batches for the week. I added some peas into mine as well for some veg options.
Smoked salmon and cream cheese – Another cheese option for cheese lovers. Cream cheese is super soft and easy to eat and makes a great accompaniment for smoked salmon. Just cut the smoked salmon up into smaller pieces and wrap into cream cheese for a lighter lunch time snack.
Soup – You will want to avoid anything hot in the first few days after your wisdom teeth extraction, but soup makes a super easy meal to eat. You can either make this in advance from fresh, or rely on the can, which although not usually as tasty, does the job. Just make sure you don’t eat it piping hot and let it cool down first. Try to go for soups without any bits to avoid any food getting stuck in your holey gums! My favourites include tomato soup, pumpkin soup and mushroom soup. You can also have some soft bread to accompany it. Just break this up into small bite-sized pieces and dip into the soup for easier eating.
Ice cream – Ice cream is great on your first day after your wisdom teeth extraction, especially because it’s cold and soothing and you don’t need to bite anything. Stock up on your favourites – for me, it’s all about the vanilla ice cream. You can also use it to make your smoothies and accompany any other dishes.
Yoghurt – Yoghurt makes another great dessert and again is very easy to eat. Plus it’s packed with calcium – great for your teeth! I also add some honey for extra flavour, and is great for anyone like me who has a sore throat as well.
Mousse – Chocolate mousse is another favourite when having wisdom teeth extracted. Its soft and airy texture makes it easy to eat and great for chocolate lovers who are missing their crunchy chocolate bars!
Mashed potato - Mashing potato or sweet potato is also a good soft food option, and you can add milk, cream or even that cream cheese to add some more flavour to it. Try blending it to make it even softer and creamier.
Broccoli – Ok, so you might be thinking broccoli is one food you can definitely live without when on this wisdom teeth soft food diet, but broccoli is really easy to eat and also gives you one of your five a day and iron. Plus, it’s easy to mash up and soft to eat if you boil it for long enough. You can of course use other vegetables like carrots which can be blended together to form a puree and have this alongside your mashed potato.
Apple sauce – Apple sauce is also another great snack option. Packed with vitamin c and dietary fibre, this helps you maintain a healthy diet, whilst the smooth texture ensures you limit your jaw movements. For less sugar, make your own or simply open a jar if you’re feeling lazy.
Scrambled eggs – Scrambled eggs is a great option for breakfast or lunch, but any eggs will usually do the job (poached eggs), as long as it’s served soft and small bite-sized pieces. I serve my scrambled eggs with some smoked salmon cut small and cream cheese, but you could also use ricotta.
Grapes – For a healthier, daytime snack, tuck into some delicious grapes. Make sure they are the seedless variety. I cut mine in quarters to make swallowing easier and use my incisors a little bit to soften the grapes, but they only required limited jaw movement.

These are just some of the foods I lived off, but you can also keep in mind the following:

Pasta and noodles – well-cooked and soft;
Baked beans – mashed (you could top your mashed potato with baked beans with melted cheese);
Risotto – well-cooked;
Vegetables – well-cooked and mashed

Helpful advice

After your wisdom teeth extraction you will feel tired and really not in the mood to cook like a chef. I recommend planning what you will eat in advance and prepare for this so you don’t have to focus on cooking and spend more time recovering! It takes about three days to start feeling better and about a week before you can start eating anything crunchy so bear this in mind. However, listen to your body as everyone heals differently.

Make sure to gargle with salt water after eating to try and keep your gums clean from infection and rinse out any food bits which might have got inside the gaps.