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After oral surgery with one of our Las Vegas cosmetic dentists, you need to stick with liquids and very soft foods for a while so that your teeth and gums can heal.

Good nutrition is key to proper healing.

But at Drs. Chin & Pharar Dentistry in Las Vegas, our dentists understand that restricting your diet to liquids and soft foods can quickly become tedious unless you get creative about your menu planning.

What follows is a general survey of you can and cannot eat after oral surgery.

Initial Days After Oral Surgery

After you return home the day of surgery, you’ll want to start out with liquids such as:

  • Warm broth
  • Plenty of water, but not too cold
  • Non-citrus juices

You can work up to heartier liquids and soft foods a day or two after surgery. Some food to try during the first two or three days after oral surgery include:

  • Yogurt
  • Creamy Soups
  • Mashed potatoes with gravy
  • Cottage cheese
  • Oatmeal
  • Smoothies
  • Protein shakes
  • Apple sauce
  • Refried beans
  • Guacamole, without the chips
  • Peanut butter
  • Pureed or mashed bananas
  • Jell-O
  • Soft pudding

One Week After Surgery

After your first few days of recovering, you should be able to work up to more substantial soft foods such as:

  • Risotto or regular rice
  • Heartier soups
  • Pasta
  • Ramen noodles
  • Scrambled eggs
  • Boiled eggs
  • Creamed beef
  • Chicken salad
  • Canned fruit
  • Beans
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Corned beef hash

Crusty or hard foods should be avoided unless thoroughly softened in a liquid.

Other foods to avoid in those early days after oral surgery include anything crunchy, sharp, tough or spicy. That means you may want to steer clear of:

  • Chips
  • Crusty bread
  • Beef jerky
  • Steak
  • Popcorn
  • Pretzels
  • Cookies

Once you have made a full recovery from your cosmetic dentistry procedure, you should be able to resume a normal diet.

To learn more about the oral surgery options available from our skilled, experienced Las Vegas cosmetic dentists, please contact our practice online or call us directly at (702) 445-7075.