What to Eat Post-Oral Surgery
Introduction:
Tooth or wisdom teeth extractions can hinder athletes, as they cannot train for a few days. Worse, athletes are prevented from eating a lot of the food they normally eat, which could be detrimental, even if only for a few days. For the few athletes who have to deal with tooth extractions mid-season, let’s cover a few nutritional yet easily consumable food items for optimal recovery.
How do these extractions hinder your diet?
In general, extractions come in the form of tooth extractions or wisdom teeth extractions, with the latter being more difficult to deal with. In the case of tooth extractions, you may still be able to eat foods without worrying about utilizing your jaw muscles. In the case of wisdom teeth, however, one must pay attention to both the food disturbing the extraction site and the inability to consume certain foods. Wisdom teeth extraction sites are always in the back of the mouth (behind the molars), which affects one’s ability to chew due to the swelling around the jaw muscles. As such, a soft diet is oftentimes recommended post-oral surgery.
How are athletes affected?
A balanced and nutritional diet is essential to any athlete, and wounded jaw muscles can prevent the consumption of some of the following common snacks:
Fruits (Such as apples or pears)
Crackers (of all types)
Granola or Energy Bars
Nuts
Trail mixes
Celery sticks
Hot drinks such as tea and coffee are also to be avoided, due to their ability to easily cause burns at the extraction site. The avoidance of such drinks leads to a lack of a caffeine source, which athletes sometimes need for that boost of energy.
Solution?
All hope is not lost, as there are plenty of soft diet foods and drinks that can still provide nutritional benefits to athletes watching out for their diet. Below are a few examples:
1. Oatmeal
A typical healthy diet includes oatmeal, which just happens to be soft enough to be consumed post-oral surgery. Oats themselves contain beta-glucan, which can significantly lower cholesterol levels and help to keep healthy. That aside, the oatmeal can be personalized, by adding extra SOFT fruits (such as bananas or berries), or other types of flavorings. The consumption of oatmeal also does not require chewing, or the use of the back molars which means the tooth extraction site is easily avoidable when consuming/swallowing.
2. Eggs
Eggs are another great source of protein and are already typically in an athlete’s diet in one form or another. Scrambled eggs are the most recommended form of eggs to consume post-oral surgery. However, other forms such as hard-boiled or soft-boiled also do not require the use of back molars or rely on jaw muscles to consume.
3. Congee or rice porridge
If you’re not looking to give up rice, but want to avoid using your jaw, congee or porridge does the trick. Similarly to oatmeal, it’s soft and easily consumed. Congee also typically contains loads of vitamins (particularly Vitamin B), which can help speed up the recovery process.
4. Soups:
Soups in general can contain lots of nutrients and are by far the easiest to consume and swallow amongst the other foods on this list. It’s highly recommended that soups with soft vegetables or meats be eaten.
Of course, most drinks can still be consumed as long as they do not cause burning sensations or infections (namely alcohol or carbonated beverages). However, cold water is highly recommended to drink, due to its ability to keep you hydrated and reduce swelling at the extraction site.
Conclusion:
While this situation may only occur to a select few athletes, it’s important to keep a healthy diet regardless of your ability to consume certain types of foods. Luckily for said athletes, many foods that are typically seen in a well-rounded diet are already easily consumed and accessible.
Sources:
“The Best Foods to Eat after Tooth Extraction (and Ones to Avoid).” GoodRx, GoodRx, www.goodrx.com/conditions/dental-care/what-to-eat-after-tooth-extraction. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.
“Healthy Snacks for Athletes - What You Need to Know.” Drugs.Com, www.drugs.com/cg/healthy-snacks-for-athletes.html. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.
Plano, Vitality Dental - Dentist. “What to Avoid & Embrace for a Smooth Recovery.” Vitality Dental Plano, 6 Feb. 2024, www.vitalitydentaldfw.com/what-you-should-not-eat-or-drink-after-tooth-extraction/#:~:text=Carbonated%20and%20alcoholic%20beverages%20are,recovery%20after%20a%20tooth%20extraction.
Romi Londre, RDN. “Start Your Day with Healthy Oatmeal.” Mayo Clinic Health System, Mayo Clinic Health System, 24 Feb. 2023, www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/start-your-day-with-healthy-oatmeal#:~:text=Oats%20contain%20a%20type%20of,gut%20bacteria%20and%20intestinal%20health.
“How Long until You Can Drink Alcohol after a Tooth Extraction.” Https://Www.Byte.Com, 25 Apr. 2022, www.byte.com/community/resources/article/alcohol-after-tooth-extraction.