For those who've had wisdom teeth pulled

[Johnathan]

I just got mine done this morning. The good news was that I only had one. The bad news was that it was impacted pretty deep. I saw the x-ray and there was a MILE of space in between the gum surface and the top of the wisdom tooth.

So I was sedated. When I got home the wound felt fine except for the incredible pain I'm getting when eating soft food. Protein smoothies are sending me into hell for 5 minutes straight. I'm doing the usual ice packs/teabags/antibiotic/Tylenol and I'm curious of those who've had impacted teeth removed, how long did it take before you could eat solids? I weightlift 4-5x a week and this is killing me to not be getting my real food...I can almost hear myself losing weight!

[BrokenWingedFaery]

Try only eating things at room temp., it should help with the pain.

[shes2smart]

My husband had all of his wisdom teeth removed a couple years back. That would be the standard 4 that most people have PLUS 2 extra ones. Yup. The boy came with bonus parts. He also had to have a double dose of the anesthetic because the first dose they gave him (an amount that knocks most people out) only served to make him very chatty. He wouldn't shut up so they could do the surgery.

 

Anyhow, he had it done first thing in the morning and was a wreck the rest of surgery day...due, no doubt, to the extra anesthetic they needed to give him. I believe it was late in the day the next day or early in the 2nd day post-surgery that he was able to (carefully!) eat solid food again.

[Dako]

After I had 5 removed, it took about a week to start solid food.

[iamteddybearfeelmecuddle]

I had an impacted wisdom. It was full grown, and yet it was so far up there that I never knew it was there until I went to the dentist and they showed me on the xray. (...that explained the pain). Don't want to freak you out but I couldn't even open my mouth to talk for maybe at least 4 or 5 days, and my face was swollen, and also I couldn't eat solids for about 2 weeks. They say I have very deep roots on my teeth though, and I was already older by the time I had any dental work done at all. So it's entirely possible that your experience won't be as bad as mine especially since you are only 24, most likely yours hasn't grown as attached and large as mine did.

[shes2smart]

After I had 5 removed, it took about a week to start solid food.

 

Oh, so you had bonus parts, too.

 

How determined were you to start solid food, though? My husband, like the OP, was pretty darned set on eating ASAP. He even tried (unsuccessfully) to get some yogurt down a few hours after the surgery -- even though he was still all woozy from the anesthetic. We're talking a guy who refers to himself as "a walking stomach."

 

Some folks are ok avoiding food if they're not feeling up to it. If you tend more toward that end of the spectrum, I could see where you'd just naturally take longer to start eating again.

[iamteddybearfeelmecuddle]

It's actually more of a feeling of your jaw feeling like it's wired shut (in the most painful possible way) than a matter of choice or being up to it.

[NoLiesJustLove]

all 4 of my wisdom teeth were impacted, i got them removed when i was really young, i was only 14.

 

i just iced like CRAZY, and i could eat soft solids in about 3-4 days.

[Beyondthesea]

Wow I was really lucky. I had 2 impacted teeth, was sedated, and was eating solid foods the same day even though my gums were sewn up. I had a specialist doing my surgery, maybe that made a difference. I took one dose of the painkillers he gave me simply because I was worried about when the freezing came out, and didn't take anymore after that.

[MI_Shell]

I had to live on liquid food for a week. Try a thickish stew/soup at room temperature. Avoid hot foods and just have lots of regular juice meals. It is a painful time, thank goodness for pain killers. Just Kick back and rest, watch a good movie and get some sleep to give yourself the chance to heal. I hope there are people to help prepare some meals with a bit of imagination. Just hang in there mate a week will be gone before you know it and then you will be able to splurge and make up for it with a good feed.

[danielj]

I had all four of my impacted wisdom teeth out at the same time. It took me about a week to eat normal foods again. I pretty much survived on protein shakes and yogurt that entire week.

[KIDD]

I had all four of my back wisdom teeth pulled earlier this year! I couldn't eat any solid food in a week. It was hard because I wanted to eat so much stuff but all I could eat really was soup or liquids.

[coollady1957]

I agree that it would take about a week to feel like eating solid food again. I and my daughter both have had impacted wisdom teeth surgically removed.

 

Eating very soft food like jello, puddings, yogurt would be best. Also along with eating creamed soups, or drinking something like Ensure* or Boost*.

 

Just be careful, with eating hot foots and liquids. There is always a chance of losing the little blood blot in the socket, which will cause a dry socket. that is something that you do not want. Hot liquids or food tend to loosen the blood blot in the place where the tooth was. This happened to my daughter with the dry socket and she had to return to have it packed.

 

Also don't drink anything with a straw. It causes a suction which could dislodge the blood clot in the tooth socket.

 

I am sure you were advised of all these things, but I just thought it worth repeating.

 

Hope all goes well and you are up and eating again soon. Just take it easy on the foods for sure.