If you, a child, sibling or spouse will be undergoing a tooth extraction soon at Art of the Smiles in Federal Way, Washington, you will likely want to know what foods to eat and what foods to avoid during your recovery. You may already suspect that soft foods are an excellent choice. These include:

Eggs: Eggs which are scrambled, sunny side up or over easy are a wonderful way to get some satisfying protein into your diet without irritating the extraction site with the rough tear of meat. Hard boiled eggs may be a little too rough the first 24-48 hours after an extraction.

Smoothies: Mixing fresh fruit like bananas, peaches and raspberries can offer you a soft and nutritious treat for your healing mouth and body. Add yogurt or kefir in a blender to offer your teeth with calcium and probiotics and even a little protein. For a supplementary treat to help you feel full, try adding some protein powder. The low pH level of the yogurt, kefir, or powder will balance out the acidity of the fruit so it won’t irritate your gums or teeth.

Ice Cream: Ice cream or frozen yogurt is a great choice for patients after surgery. Since this may be the only time that Dr. Amanda Huang recommends that you eat something this sweet, you may want to take advantage of the opportunity. Of course, frozen yogurt or sugar free ice cream is better for your teeth. But whichever you choose, the texture is rather soft, and unless your teeth are particularly sensitive, the temperature can even help diminish and mollify inflammation. Evade any crunchy mix-ins or using an ice cream cone, as these can have the opposite effect on the extraction site.

Keep away from spicy, crunchy and acidic foods, which can hurt the extraction site. Also, remember not to use a straw; the sucking motion can augment your chance of contracting dry socket, which is a condition wherein the blood clot over the extraction site is loosened, resulting in bleeding and extreme sensitivity.

Do you have any questions or concerns? Please phone Art of the Smiles in Federal Way, Washington at 253-839-4048. Dr. Amanda Huang and our expert staff would love to help you have a thriving extraction and recovery.