10 Foods to Eat After Dental Work

Last updated on 2022

After having dental work or dental surgery, oral health is the patients’ responsibility. Either if you’re having a tooth extraction or a more complicated procedure, you should follow your dentist's post-treatment care directions.

“Can I eat the same after dental surgery?” “What do I eat after dental work?” these are common questions asked by many patients.

At Sani Dental Group, we want to guide you all along with your dental treatment: before, during, and after the procedure, that’s why we think it very important to share these 10 food recommendations to eat after dental work.

What we eat directly impacts our oral health, but we don’t want it to be something stressful for patients’ when it comes to making a decision about what to eat.

Eating soft foods for the first ten days after these procedures may be necessary:

• Dental implants: a solution to replace missing teeth works with a principle called 

Osseointegration refers to the natural fusion of the dental implant with the jawbone. It is a complex procedure, you will have to prepare for them.

• Bone grafting for Implants: Some patients don’t count with enough bone to support the implant. In these cases, the necessary bone will be taken from another part of the body.

Therefore, it will maintain the width and volume of bone the patient will need for implant placement in their next visits.

• Teeth extraction: Third molars are commonly referred to as wisdom teeth. The removal of impacted teeth is usually performed under local anesthesia although is a serious procedure.

In order to feel better, have more strength, and less discomfort, patients need to follow every postoperative instruction.

• Sinus Lift:

Also known as Sinus Augmentation, is the procedure that increases bone in the Molar area.     

It is recommended for patients who have lost their teeth and suffer from a smaller or narrower sinus cavity that doesn’t have enough bone for implant insertion.

10 Foods to Eat after Dental Work

1. Scrambled Eggs: As long as they aren’t too hot, scrambled eggs are a great option for breakfast!

They’re high in protein and don’t require much effort on chewing them.

2. Soup: Soup is not only easy to make and to eat, but it also contains plenty of nutrients. Plus, if soft vegetables are added, it would be healthier! To avoid any discomfort make sure the soup is as smooth as possible and not too hot before you eat it.

3. Sweet and mashed potatoes: Potatoes have a bunch of nutrients and are very easy to chew and swallow if they’re mashed.

Sweet potatoes have anti-inflammatory properties that can help prevent oral disease.

4. Ice cream: It’s cool and soft, so you don’t require as much jaw muscle to eat. It can also help to minimize any natural swelling that occurs in the mouth due to the treatment.

Who doesn’t like ice cream? You will forget about any discomfort with this treat!

5. Smoothies: Fresh fruits will be perfect for a delicious smoothie! Ripe fruits, such as blueberry have more antioxidants than any other fruit. The immune system will be a boost and it going to help prevent gum disease.

6. Pasta or noodles: Is an ideal choice after dental treatment. Make sure to cook them very soft, so you don’t have any problem eating them.

7. Pancakes: easy to eat, always a good and nice choice if your teeth are sensitive after a dental procedure.

8. Oatmeal: Another healthy breakfast or dinner choice. Just try to avoid adding nuts or granola and there will be no problem eating some oatmeal. To avoid irritation, make sure the oats have cooled down before you eat them.

9. Jell-O and Pudding: Variety of flavors and options, preventing boredom that frequently occurs with a restrictive post carement diet. Plus, it’s very easy to prepare.

10. Fish: Salmon is one of the healthiest fish you can eat, a great option to eat after dental surgery because it is soft and easy to chew. Healthy fats like omega-3 may aid wound healing by reducing excess inflammation.

*Extra ingredient: Avocados are delicious and very nutritious. While avocados are usually easy to eat, whipped or mashed avocado may be easier to consume during your recovery.

What Foods Not to Eat

For the not-so-great part, we recommend avoiding the following foods:

1. Spicy foods: Foods with a lot of salt and pepper, may cause pain and irritation to the gums and mouth. After a dental procedure, the last thing someone needs is a mouth irritation while your mouth is healing.

2. Roasted vegetables: As much as delicious they are, roasted vegetables are not easy to chew and swallow when you’ve just had oral surgery.

3. Crunchy snacks and Bread: Foods like crackers, pretzels, chips, and nuts contain sodium that will likely irritate sensitive gums. Plus, they can get stuck in any holes in your mouth.

4. Alcohol: Forget about alcohol for a few days until you’re completely recovered from oral surgery, as alcohol may irritate the wound or interact with prescribed medication.

Also, it’s very important to avoid the use of straw for the first days after the surgery. It is not recommended to spit during the healing process, spitting can remove the clot that is stopping the bleeding and helping the wound to heal.

After having dental treatment, it can be difficult to find foods that are filling and fulfilling while still being soft and easy to eat.

It’s important to eat what you feel comfortable with, and to keep in mind people heal at different rates following surgery or another dental treatment.

At Sani Dental Group, we care about our patients and their oral health, so besides the food recommendations, we listed other tips in order to ensure success in your recovery.

Patients who undergo a more complex procedure like oral surgery, need to follow post-treatment care that we thought would be worth sharing.

• If bleeding occurs. Do not rinse or spit the saliva. As mentioned before, spitting removes the clot that is helping the wound to heal. Instead, it is recommended to lie down and place sterilizes gauze, the bite with moderate pressure for at least 15 minutes.
• Avoid rubbing your tongue on the affected area.
• Avoid muscle stiffness. Do exercises to open and close the mouth several times during the day in order to avoid muscle tension.
• Avoid blowing your nose. For the first hours, patients can be careful about blowing their nose as it can cause the bony material to be displaced.
• Avoid swelling. Swelling is normal especially in the first’s days after the treatment. By applying a cold icepack, it should be reduced. Hold the icepack on the bruised cheek for a max. Of 10 min with a 20 min. break before applying again.
• Medications. Take only the prescribed pills by your dentist, avoid taking aspirins.
•  Hygiene: Brush carefully after every meal trying not to hurt the surgery area. When rising, place water in your mouth and facing the washing bin, open your mouth to let the water out without spitting.
• Take a break from physical activities. Avoid demanding physical activity for at least two weeks, as it can increase the bleeding.
• Sleeping. Keep your head higher than the rest of the body. If you lie flat, bleeding will be prolonged. Use two or three pillows under your back to help your head high.

Whether you’re visiting the dentist for a regular cleaning or some more complicated procedure like oral surgery, you got to make sure to follow directions from your dentist, and of course to see a professional.

Dental Work in Los Algodones, Mexico

Every year, Sani Dental Group attends to thousands of patients from all over the world offering them great service for a price they can pay. As the largest dental group in town, we count on two clinics in the city of Los Algodones: Sani Dental Group Main Clinic and Sani Dental Group Platinum.

Plus, Los Algodones dentists at Sani Dental Group are in constant preparation and board-certified to perform all types of dental procedures, from a simple extraction to more complex treatment.

Los Algodones, Mexico is located just seven miles west of Yuma, Arizona, and is the #1 destination for dental tourism in Mexico.

It is very easy to get to any of our clinics, take a look at this map.

Benefits of having dental work At Sani Dental Group

• For your convenience, a member of our staff can welcome you at the border crossing also we count on a free shuttle service for our patients, just make your appointment and mention it to one of our patient coordinators.

• Lodging in two hotels near our clinic:

Some dental procedures require more than one visit, Cielito Lindo Hotel, and Hacienda Los Algodones are ready to receive you and give you the best service during your stay for dental treatment.

 Just ask for special deals for our patients.

 • Several Payment options to pay for your treatment such as cash, debit or credit card, personal traveler checks, wire transfer, and Dental Financing.

If you’re wondering if you need to convert your American dlls to Mexican pesos, there’s nothing to worry about! Los Algodones local currency is actually in dollars.

• Warranty: Trustful clinics in Los Algodones offer a warranty in all of our dental services. We trust our doctors and the results, that’s why services at both of our clinics have from 2 to 5 years of warranty.

• Our team of patient coordinators can assist in everything you need and make things easier during your mini-vacation.

Shuttle service, appointments, lodging, and recommendations, we want to give our patients the complete medical experience and you don’t need to stress about anything!

If you need information on any of our treatments, of our clinics, please don’t doubt and call us. We’re ready to answer all of your questions. The smile of your dreams is just one call away!