Wisdom teeth extraction and food question?

Question

I got my wisdom teeth out yesterday morning, and while I was in mild pain yesterday (the period right before I'd pop another hydrocodone mainly), I'm fine today. The bleeding's stopped, and I haven't felt the need to take any more of my prescription stuff (since the doc only said to take it for severe pain).

I know that you're not supposed to suck, spit, or do whatever for a few days and rinse out the mouth so you avoid dry socket. My question is, when is it okay to go back to eating solid food? I mean, it's not pain I'm worried about, but I'm grossed out at the thought of food getting stuck in the holes.

So, when is it okay to start eating solid food again (even stuff like bread would be great)? And how do I avoid getting it in the hole (if it even gets stuck in there; I'm not sure how that huge gaping holes in your mouth thing works)?

Answer 1

keep to soft food until you think it will be safe to eat solids again keep gargling though with lightly salted warmest water,,next week should see you eating normal again ,

Answer 2

You should wait at least a full week to a week and a half before you go back to solid foods. There really isn't a way to avoid getting the food stuck in the holes, especially when it's solid food. You will have to chew, and as the food becomes tiny bits, some of it will flow into the holes. I know it seems pretty gross that you'll have to stick the syringe in the hole and flush the food out, but it's not bad at all. You won't even feel anything. By the time you go back to solid foods, in a week or so, the holes will just be there and there won't be any pain. There will always be something that gets into the holes, so you just take the syringe that your dentist should have given you, and stick it close to the hole, and flush. The food will start flowing out of the holes, and you just spit it out.

Yeah, for now just eat yogurt, ice cream, milk shakes, mashed potato, soup, porridge, and stuff like that. When you first get back to eating solid foods, it will feel weird, cuz your jaw will be stiff from not chewing on hard things for so long. But you'll get used to it. I just had 4 of my wisdom teeth out 2 weeks ago, and I just started eating again.

Have a good recovery =)