Many people ask about when they can eat chips after your wisdom teeth are removed. It depends on how your dentist feels that you could safely put chips in your mouth!
It is important to remember that all patients are different, which is why it is hard to give general rules about what foods may be eaten. Your doctor will determine this for you depending on if there have been any changes or complications with your dental surgery.
Changes during oral surgery can make eating more difficult. For example, the muscles of your tongue might become weak due to surgical removal. This can cause problems because you need these muscles to chew properly.
Other things that can happen include damage to nerves, which affect sensation in your mouth. If you feel numb, then it is possible to over-eat and not know the difference.
This can lead to weight gain and health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. All of these conditions can be related to obesity, so making changes to keep an eye on your weight is essential part of healing.
There are also times when the surgeon needs to perform a second procedure later. These additional procedures can take longer than first thought, which again raises questions about eating afterwards.
Luckily, our diet team has some tips for you here! Read on to learn more about the timing of food after your wisdom tooth extraction.
Always keep some teeth paste in your purse
Many people do not know when it is okay to eat chips after wisdom tooth removal, but there are certain times you can enjoy them! Most dentist recommend eating one or two pieces of potato chip every few hours up until dinner, which is fine if you know what time that is.
Some patients may be told to avoid foods with salt for the next couple days, so if you’re hungry make sure to drink enough water and add a little bit of salt to taste to ensure you are still thirsty. If your mouth feels dry, try rubbing some saliva into your lips.
Never forget this tip: Check with your doctor before having food due to potential health issues.
Only eat chips that are baked
Even though it may feel tempting to have a few chips or even a bag of fries, you should probably just forget about them.
It’s hard to say when people will be allowed to eat fried foods again, so don’t make things more difficult for yourself by eating food high in fat.
Most patients can enjoy soft breads like hamburger buns, rolls, toast and/or English muffins. Most people can also enjoy crispy vegetables such as broccoli florets and carrots.
But ask yourself this question: Is there something I could put these foods next to? Like a grill, for example? Then you can go ahead and fry up some chicken nuggets or steak fries!
Baked potatoes are pretty light weight, so most people are able to eat those too. Just remember to avoid butter or sour cream with them because of the solid fats they contain.
Eat chips in small amounts
While it may be tempting to eat lots of salty snacks after your wisdom teeth removal, doing so could cause more problems for you. Yours might not be oral health related, however!
Many patients are hungry immediately after their surgery because they are eating less food due to pain or dry mouth.
If you’re craving some kind of crunchy snack, try having one little piece at a time until you feel well enough to have more. Also, make sure to drink plenty of water to help mitigate symptoms of dehydration.
Your body can become dehydrated when you don’t consume enough water. If you find yourself suffering from hunger pains along with other symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, rapid heartbeat, and/or short breath, seek medical attention right away.
Disclaimer: The content contained within this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. It is only meant to provide educational information about chip intake after tooth extraction. This article is not endorsed by nor affiliated with Academy of General Dentistry.
Avoid fried chips
It is best to avoid eating potato or bread chips after your wisdom teeth removal due to possible dental complications. If you must have them, then do not fry them!
Many dentists suggest that two months is enough time for people with no symptoms to eat baked potatoes or French fries. Two months seems like an adequate amount of time for most to recover as well.
But what about when patients already experience some level of tooth sensitivity? Or if their mouths are very dry from using oral hygiene products more frequently?
In these cases, eating crispy foods may cause pain or discomfort, so it is better to wait until healed before consuming any such items. Even one bad chip can be too much for your mouth!
Disclaimer: The content in this article should not be used as medical advice for yourself or someone else. I am simply sharing my own personal experiences and thoughts on dieting and basic health guidelines.
For more information on wisdom teeth, visit our Tips page here.
Eat chips with your friends
While it may sound weird, eating chips is totally okay after wisdom teeth removal! Most doctors will allow you to eat baked or fried foods up to one week after surgery.
This is so people can enjoy their favorite snacks for at least a week after their mouth feels more settled. Having oral complications like dry socket or infection are very common days or weeks later, so giving your body time to recover makes sense.
If you’re hungry and feel well enough, go ahead and help yourself to some chips! Just be sure to wash them first and don’t overdo it — we wouldn’t want you to suffer from dental chip disease 🙂
Drinking lots of water and rest helps keep your mouth healthy too. Make sure to check out our tips here if you need help feeling better fast.
Eat chips with your family
Even if you have very little appetite after your surgery, do not make any assumptions about when it is okay to eat chips!
Most people enjoy eating salty foods like potato or tortilla chips during or right after dental work. They may even ask you for recommendations of snacks or restaurants they can bring in for them.
However, some patients still feel nauseous or queasy after oral surgeries such as wisdom tooth removal, so they try to avoid food and liquids until their symptoms subside. This is totally normal!
Fortunately, there are several strategies that can help ease hunger after your procedure. Starting meals slowly and keeping yourself hydrated will be helpful. Some patients also find that chewing gum helps keep them awake and hungry.
Disclaimer: The content in this article should be used with caution. Only seek professional advice from a dentist or doctor regarding any health risks or complications related to dieting following wisdom teeth removal.
Hopefully you found this information useful! If you had additional tips or questions, leave a comment below and connect with us via our social media pages.
Eat chips when you feel like it
It is important to know that your dentist will not tell you when you can eat chips after wisdom tooth removal. This depends on several things, such as how well your teeth heal, what kind of chip or crack you have, and whether you are hungry at the time.
Your doctor may also recommend waiting a few days before having foods that require more chewing, like nuts and popcorn. By eating these foods later, they will probably be easier to swallow because your digestive system has had some time to get back into shape.
If you are very hungry, then by all means, go ahead and snack on something crunchy! Just make sure it is something we advise against — chocolate chips, for example.
Stay away from chips that have added sugar
Since your mouth will be slightly swollen for the next couple of days, it is possible to eat some light snacks, but make sure they are not fried or salty foods such as pretzels or crackers.
These types of food can contribute to water retention in your mouth, which could lead to choking if you should happen to swallow any of them.
Since most people feel hungry within an hour of eating, do not worry about eating dinner later! Take advantage of the time after surgery when your hunger is up and you are more likely to want to eat something.
After one week, patients are allowed soft, crunchy fruits like apples and carrots, as well as hard vegetables like broccoli and peas. At this stage, most people are able to enjoy potato chips (if they tolerate salt).
