What to Eat After Wisdom Tooth Removal (And What to Avoid)

Smooth foods are your best friends after any kind of oral surgery. You’ll want to stick to extremely soft foods (like broths, fruit smoothies, and mashed or pureed veggies) in the days after the procedure. No chewing allowed! After an appropriate time has passed, you can gradually experiment with different textures. Here are 10 ideas to help you through the pain:

Smoothies are a post-surgery staple for a reason: They can help replenish nutrients you may be missing without the need to chew.

Get the recipes: 39 Healthy Smoothies

Blended soups (like tomato, potato, or carrot) are hearty, filling, and completely drinkable.

Get the recipe: Creamy Avocado Soup

Pain medications can make some people queasy. If you can’t stomach much else, try slowly sipping chicken, beef, bone, or vegetable broth.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Keto Bone Broth

Applesauce  Recipe

The store-bought stuff will get the job done, but homemade applesauce contains fewer preservatives. Consider whipping up a batch before your surgery.

Get the recipe: Homemade Applesauce

Appetizing? Maybe not. A safe and nutritious choice for babies and recently wisdom tooth-less adults? Absolutely.

You’ve been through a lot—treat yourself with a few scoops of creamy, cooling ice cream.

This hearty side is pretty much the perfect post-oral surgery food: creamy, soft, and ultra-comforting.

Get the recipe: Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Jell-O is easy to make and easier to chew (or gum, if you want to get technical).

Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics, which can wreak havoc on your digestive system, if you develop a post-op infection—that’s why it’s a good idea to stock up on probiotic-rich yogurts.

Constipation is a common side effect of a lot of pain killers. Encourage healthy digestion with easy-to-eat mashed pumpkin, which is packed with fiber.

The key to getting through your wisdom tooth surgery recovery with your sanity intact? Patience. Don’t try to chew anything that could irritate—or reopen—your wounds. For example, don’t try to eat:

This should go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: Don’t eat hard or crunchy foods after wisdom tooth removal. Anything that could damage, irritate, or open your wounds is a very bad idea.

Acidity is also a no-no when it comes to recovery. Not only will it inflame the already tender surgical site, it could be really, really painful.

Bland, soft rice may seem like a good choice—but it’s not. The small pieces can easily get stuck in your gums and cause an infection. The same goes for small seeds.

That's all, folks! May your foods be soft and your recovery short.

Read next: 5 Foods to Avoid When You're Sick (And 3 to Eat Instead)