When Can I Eat Pizza After Wisdom Teeth Removal?

So you just had your operation to remove your wisdom tooth. Now, one of the questions running through your mind is “when can I eat pizza after wisdom teeth removal?” which makes sense.

Everybody loves pizza but not everyone is loved back by it. We all know the troubles of having your wisdom teeth removed and it is a type of pain that you would not want to prolong.

The excruciating pain you feel when the wisdom tooth grows is almost unbearable. So when you have it extracted, you get excited to eat all the hard foods or normal foods you like.

When can I eat pizza after wisdom tooth removal

However, it is not that easy and you need to make sure that the surgical site has healed properly. If you eat your favorite foods without care, the pain can easily return.

Even worse, the surgical area in your mouth can get infections so you need to observe proper care when eating. Always follow your dentist’s recommendations and practice proper care.

Good oral health can go a long way so make sure that you do your part and always brush your teeth, have saline rinse with a small cup of warm tap water, and more after the dental procedure.

Factors To Consider Before Eating Pizza

On the first day of your wisdom teeth extraction, make sure to avoid hard foods as much as possible. Eating bread after wisdom tooth removal can be tempting but observe the crust first if it is soft.

You should also avoid solid foods like pizza crust. Yes, you might want to eat pizza after wisdom teeth removal on your first day of surgery, but try your best to avoid it as it is easy to destroy the extraction site.

On the third day of extraction or surgery, I would still recommend sticking to your soft foods. If you wonder when you can eat normally after tooth extraction, here are the factors to consider.

1. The Number Of Teeth Extracted

Generally, there is a total of four wisdom teeth in one person. If you had all of them removed at once, it is best to not eat pizza after the wisdom tooth removal.

A person with only one wisdom tooth removed can be a little bit careless when eating hot foods or solid foods even on the first week. It is a different story from others, however.

Some might get stuck in your teeth and extraction site if you eat pizza after wisdom tooth removal. That is especially true with people who have had all of their wisdom teeth removed.

2. The Stitches On The Surgical Site

You also need to consider how your tooth holes have been sewn. If the dentist sewed up the hole, you need to avoid solid foods as it can be really dangerous.

Ask your dentist if the thread is dissolvable or if it needs to be removed. Bare holes are easier to maintain as you only need saltwater rinses to keep it safe from bacterial plaque.

Where Was The Tooth Removed?

If you had your lower wisdom teeth extracted, it will be riskier, and this is because the food you eat is most likely to get stuck at the bottom tooth than the upper jaw.

Avoid chewy foods as much as possible as they get stuck in between teeth. The best advice is to eat healthy foods that are softer to avoid harmful consequences.

1. Your Dentist’s Recommendation

No matter what you read on the internet, always trust your dentist. Whatever they say, make sure to follow it as they are the ones that have the professional knowledge about the procedure.

If they told you to keep the gauze pad on the surgical site, then keep it. It might take a week before you can eat normally after tooth extraction or surgery but it can be extended if you do not listen to your dentist.

What Happens When I Eat Pizza After Wisdom Teeth Removal?

If you eat crunchy bread after wisdom teeth removal like the crust on your pizza, there is a risk that you would dislodge your clot which, in turn, can develop into a dry socket on the extraction site.

A dry socket is when eating solid foods and the opening becomes exposed. This will show a whitish bone instead of the dark color where blood should be as the bone is exposed.

This can either be accidental or deliberate so make sure that you avoid any food that is not recommended to you. A dry socket can cause a lot of unnecessary and prolonged pain.

Since most of the cases of dry sockets are accidental, they are not noticed at first. Most people would assume that they have the same pain as when the wisdom tooth was extracted.

There should be small bleeding as the blood will cause a blood clot. A dry socket can cause pain in your mouth, neck area, ears, and lower head.

Over-the-counter pain medications cannot simply solve this. If you eat hard bread after wisdom teeth removal, it can cause food accumulation in the surgical area which can cause even worse pain.

You will have to wait for about 7 days and that is when you can eat pizza. I would still recommend soft pizza or pizza rolls but make sure the pizza rolls are also a bit softer than usual.

How Can Pizza Cause A Dislodged Clot?

If you eat pizza after wisdom tooth removal, there is a chance that you will dislodge your clot. Remember that you cannot eat normally after tooth extraction, at least not right away.

Stubborn patients have had worse cases that made the pain unbearable. See, pizza can be classified as crunchy food, chewy food, and even hot food, everything you should avoid.

That means that it involves a lot of chewing before swallowing for your stomach to digest it properly. Eating pizza can dislodge the clot and cause a dry socket if you continuously eat pizza.

If you have a dry socket and it is causing too much pain, try a saline rinse. Get a small cup of warm tap water and dissolve a tablespoon of salt in it before rinsing with the mixture.

If the pain has subsided, using an ice pack can help further reduce the pain and swelling. Once the pain has subsided enough that you can walk, go directly to your dentist to let them check it.

Do not do any vigorous physical activity as it can cause swelling and further pain. Check-in with your dentist to see any damages and get them fixed right away.

What Can I Eat And What Should I Avoid?

So now that you know you cannot eat bread or pizza after wisdom teeth removal, you might be asking what food can you eat and what food to avoid aside from pizza and bread?

You will get these types of food in the first week and make do with them before you can eat normally after tooth extraction to make sure that you do not damage the surgical site.

Here is a list of foods that you should avoid:

Pizzas
Crunchy bread crusts like European breads
Potato chips
Nuts
Tacos
Sushi
Burgers
Popcorn
Beverages such as alcohol, coffee, and carbonated drinks
Avoid smoking, hot foods, and spicy foods as well
Avoid milk products like ice cream, yogurt, and milkshakes on the first day.

Here are the foods that you can eat while your wisdom tooth extraction site is healing:

Liquid foods like Greek yogurt.
Smooth soups like vegetable soup and other blended soups.
Softer foods like mashed potatoes, avoid french fries.
Scrambled eggs
Ramen noodles, but be mindful of the temperature as hot foods can damage the surgical site.
Clear liquids or better yet, just drink water as it helps aid the extraction site.

When Can I Eat Pizza?

Once you can eat pizza after wisdom removal, it also means that you can finally eat normally after tooth extraction as pizza is one thing you should avoid.

Use your tongue to check if the surgical site is still painful. If the hole does not become painful when you do this and becomes less sensitive, then that is a good sign that you can eat normally again.

Another sign is if the stitches have been removed. If your dentist removed the stitches or dissolved, it usually means that the wound has closed and will no longer accumulate food.

You can now start eating your favorite foods. Again, none of these matter if your dentist has not told you to eat solid foods or other normal foods that you usually eat.

Test your jaw flexibility and if it is freer than before, that is a good sign that your healing process is nearing its end.

Always hear what your dentist has to say and once you are cleared, do not go overload. Start by chewing slowly and eating small portions of food.

4 days after your wisdom tooth is pulled, you can eat soft pizza rolls but be careful. Sandwiches are also good as long as the bread is not toasted to protect the molar tooth and hole.

5 days or 6 days after your wisdom tooth is renmoved, you can start trying out toast sandwiches and chips but I still would be careful. Pasta is a good food to try 6 days after your wisdom tooth is removed.

If you have tried chips and pasta, then you can try soft pizzas afterwards. Be careful with pasta as it can get to the hole since it is soft, and if it does, then sandwiches are also likely to get in the hole too.

One way to enjoy your food is to chew slowly and feel every flavor in your mouth. So do not be in such a hurry, then you will realize how good it is to eat once your wisdom tooth is healed.

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