Can You Eat French Fries After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Fast foods are almost incomplete without French fries, and we are quite sure that you are one of those who are a fan of the crispy and spicy fries.
But what if you or anyone else in your family have gone through wisdom teeth surgery? You might be wondering, can you eat french fries after wisdom teeth removal or not.
It is an essential question because Fries are a form of solid food and such foods are not to be eaten after the surgery.
But it is still an incomplete answer because Fries are made of potatoes that can be cooked in a soft form.
To clear all the doubts, let’s dive into this blog post without any further ado!
Can you eat French fries after wisdom teeth removal?
Unfortunately, French fries or any crispy or spicy foods are not allowed for seven days after wisdom teeth removal.
However, you can still take soft and non-spicy fries from the second day of surgery; you only need to make sure that you eat with the opposite side of the teeth extraction.
Why can’t you eat crispy fries after wisdom teeth removal?
Crispy foods are extremely harmful to the surgery site; they can stick into the gum wounds and easily lead to several dental complications, i.e., pain, swelling, bleeding, and dry socket.
What’s more, biting solid foods with surgery site may also prolong the wound healing duration.
Almost every solid, crispy, or crunchy food is an enemy of your teeth extraction site, so you must avoid them for a minimum of one week after the surgery.
Other crispy foods that you should avoid for one week:
- Fried chicken
- Fried shrimp
- Crispy corn
- Samosa
- Pizza
- Lays
Foods you can take instead of French fries:
- Scrambled or soft boiled eggs
- Cooked noodles
- Yogurt
- Pudding
- Smoothies
- Broth or creamed soup
Can you eat mashed potatoes after wisdom teeth removal?
For sure!
Mashed potatoes are one of the softest foods that you can take after wisdom teeth removal.
As its name, it is quite soft and can hardly be stuck into gum wounds. Plus, it is relatively healthy enough to fight weakness after surgery.
What’s more, mashed potatoes are rich in protein and carbohydrates, which are helpful to energize your body after surgery.
The best thing is, you can take it as a replacement for potato fries as well!
If you want to give it a try, here’s its quick recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of potatoes (peeled and quartered)
- Two tablespoons of butter
- 1 cup of milk
- Salt for taste (Don’t use any spices like pepper)
Directions
- Add 1 liter of water to a pot. Mix 1 teaspoon salt into it.
- Add potatoes to the pot and cook for 15 minutes until they become soft.
- In a small saucepan, heat butter and milk with low heat until butter is melted.
- Via electric beater or potato masher, slowly blend milk mixture into potatoes until it becomes smooth and creamy.
- Add a little sprinkle of salt for a better taste.
Note: Don’t add any other flavor except salt. Also, let the mashed potatoes cool down before you eat.
What to do if French fries get stuck in your gums?
Follow these tips if you mistakenly ate potato fries and they are now stuck in your wounds.
Rinse slightly
Take a little water and try to remove the stuck particles.
Make sure not to rinse vigorously, as it can hurt your wounds.
Also, don’t spit the water; instead, remove it with a slight force.
Don’t use a toothpick
Never remove stuck food with a toothpick because toothpicks are pointed items that can cause injury to the surgery site.
Avoid tongue
People usually use the tongue to remove particles from the gum.
That’s too harmful!
Never touch your tongue to your gum in any situation.
Saltwater rinse
Never rinse your mouth for the first 24 hours after surgery. After that, if food gets trapped in a wisdom tooth hole, you can rinse your mouth with warm salt water to help dislodge the blood.
How to rinse with salt
- Mix 1 tsp of table salt into an 8-ounce glass of warm water (don’t use cold water)
- Don’t swish forcefully, as this may dissolve the blood clot forming over the wisdom tooth hole.
- Don’t spit the water out. Let the water fall out of your mouth into the sink when you are done.
- Repeat it four times.
Cotton swab
Use a sterile cotton swab to brush the area gently.
Be cautious and don’t push the food particles further into the hole.
Note: This technique is only suitable after one week of surgery. You shouldn’t use these tips in the first few days of the extraction.
How can I prevent French fries or other food from getting stuck in a wisdom tooth hole?
Here are ideal ways you can use to prevent food from getting stuck in a wisdom tooth hole.
Don’t chew near the hole
Try your best not to chew food near the surgery site in your mouth.
But, if you had multiple molars or teeth removed, this might not be possible.
Rinse your mouth after eating
Rinse your mouth after eating to help evacuate food particles and bacteria.
A saltwater rinse or germicidal mouthwash would be the best choice.
But, don’t use this tip for the first three days after the surgery.
Eat a soft diet after removal
Start your post-extraction diet with soft food.
Avoid chewy, crunchy foods or foods that can leave particles in the mouth, such as seeds.
You should also say no to acidic or spicy foods, which may dissolve the blood clot.
The Bottom Line
French fries are one of the many foods that are difficult to avoid, but you have to stay away from them for a reasonable time after the surgery.
But thankfully, there are other delicious and safe foods mentioned above that you can try instead of fries.
All in all, take a break from French fries. That will heal your surgery wounds sooner and you would be able to eat your favorite foods in no time.
