Staying Fueled after Wisdom Teeth Procedure

The dreaded procedure of wisdom teeth recovery is one that often seems to vary in recovery time. I will have patients that take a few days tro recover and then some that it seems to take weeks. But one thing is the same: keeping your body fueled no matter the duration is important to getting back on the field faster and stronger. 

When thinking about recovering from a procedure we want to make sure to hit the main foundations first! Proper fueling is the key to getting you started towards supporting recovery. This means focusing on the three main parts of every plate: 

1. Protein 
2. Carbs
3. Fruits & Vegetables for antioxidants and fiber 

Protein kick starts procedure recovery

Protein is vital for recovery because it helps make new cells and prevents muscle breakdown from happening. However, when we are talking about wisdom teeth and a sore jaw, you may not want to chew a lot of high protein sources like meat and nuts. Instead, you will need to focus on softer protein options like dairy products, eggs, pulled meats, and soft fish. 

Dairy products are one of my favorite suggestions because there are many different ways to add them in. Here is 10 dairy based protein options to get your started: 

1. Smoothie
2. Pancake w/ yogurt
3. Overnight oats w/ greek yogurt and milk 
4. Cottage cheese w/ thawed frozen strawberries 
5. Glass of milk 
6. Yogurt with banana 
7. Milkshake
8. Ninja creami ice cream with peaches and heavy whipping cream and fairlife milk 
9. Cheese slices + apple sauce 
10. Cream based soup

This is just to get you started, there are so many more ways to incorporate dairy and get your protein in. However, that’s not the only option for getting protein. Eggs are another great option, having them scrambled, fried or boiled can be a great soft addition to a meal. Not a fan of dairy or eggs? Softer pulled meats and fish can be easy to chew with a tender jaw and easy to swallow when in recovery as well. Try out fish tacos with tilapia or pulled pork sandwiches to get in some softer meats! 

No matter how you are choosing to prioritize protein during recovery, consistency across the day is essential! This helps the body keep utilizing it better and putting it into use. After your procedure you may need to have protein as many as 4-5x a day to help you get enough for healing, especially considering how limited chewing can be post-procedure. . 

Carbs during recovery from Wisdom teeth procedure

Having meals that include carbs is important as this is the body’s favorite source of fuel. This is what gives the body energy for daily function and allows the protein to be used for muscle and cell reproduction. But once again we need to be creative in finding foods that are softer to help require less chewing. Here are my list of top 10 carbs

1. Pasta! It’s okay to even over cook it a bit
2. Potato- white (mashed would be best)
3. Sweet Potato
4. Oatmeal
5. Pancakes
6. Waffles
7. Sweet bread
8. Tortillas 
9. Beans 
10. Hummus or other dips

Consistency is also vital for carbs so you can keep your energy levels high. This doesn’t mean you have to have large meals yet, but try aiming to get a carbs in every 2-4 hours. This will help you meet your body’s needs and stay energized.

Soup & other softer foods

When we start talking about soup and other softer foods, now we are starting to bring in variety! Making it so that you aren’t just eating the same thing for 5-6 days as that gets really old really fast! 

Soups can vary so greatly depending on your preferences. You could do a chicken noodle soup, creamy butternut squash soup, potato soup, or even a tortilla soup as you tolerate chewing a little more. 

Other soft foods could be soft fruits and veggies! For soft fruits, you would want to look into defrosting frozen fruit like strawberries, blueberries or peaches. But don’t forget things like applesauce, fruit cups, or canned fruit as well. These will go great in your yogurt or cottage cheese cups! For veggies, cooking carrots, green beans, or asparagus thoroughly will help with having to chew less. 

Other tips for recovery from wisdom teeth procedure: 

1. Follow the doctor’s recommendations 🙂 They know what they are talking about!!! 
2. Eat smaller meals more frequently if your jaw is getting tired. This means eating 6-6+ times a day or every 2-3 hours.   Want more on fueling on a schedule? Take a peek at this blog we have.
3. Keep working the jaw, you just had a procedure done. Your jaw is supposed to be sore. But keep moving it. 

Want actual meal ideas? Here is a handout to help you get started!

For more help putting this into practice, check out our website https://nutritionatplay.com/ or shoot us an email at info@nutritionatplay.com to learn more about working with us one on one!