When Can I Eat A Burger After Wisdom Teeth Removal
Burgers, chips, and fast foods are eaten every day worldwide, especially by the younger generations.
According to a survey, 140 million burgers are eaten per day alone in the United States (based on per capita consumption). That comes to billions of burgers every year!
So, if you are also a die-hard lover of burgers and have undergone wisdom teeth removal surgery, you might be asking yourself:
When can I eat a burger after wisdom teeth removal, and possibly also, why can’t I eat a burger in the first place?
You may also have many other questions related to this, so let’s find out their answers in this post.
Also check: When Can I Eat Pizza After Wisdom Teeth Removal
When Can I Eat A Burger After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
Burgers, whether they are zinger, Veggie, or beef; should be avoided for at least seven days after wisdom teeth removal.
During this period, not only do you need to avoid burgers but also french fries, nuggets, and other hard foods.
Even after seven days, it is better to chew on the opposite side of your surgery site, so you don’t accidentally hurt the extraction area.
Why shouldn’t you eat a burger after wisdom teeth removal?
Removing wisdom teeth exposes the gum underneath, which is very sensitive to hot, spicy, and solid food.
Eating burger-like food can leave scraps between your teeth, which are not easy to brush away.
Eating these types of solid foods can result in severe pain, irritation, and numbness in the tooth extraction site.
What’s more, by eating solid foods, you can also increase the chances of a dry socket.
All in all, it is good to have patience and skip your favourite foods so you can avoid post-extraction complications.
What can I eat instead of the burger after wisdom teeth removal?
Indeed, it’s not easy to wait for even a single day without burgers if you’ve been eating them for a long time, but worry not, you can enjoy the following foods three days after the extraction.
- Macaroni
- Cheese
- Cooked noodles
- Soft-boiled/ scrambled/ poached eggs
- Soft sandwiches
Note: Make sure not to add additional spices to the foods listed. A little sprinkle of black pepper would be sufficient to add a pleasant taste to these foods. Also, try not to eat foods that are too hot, as they can also inflame your surgery site.
What to do if I (mistakenly) eat a burger after wisdom teeth extraction?
Never use a toothpick, tongue, or finger to remove food particles. Instead, rinse your mouth gently to remove the stuck particles.
If the particles are still not removed, it is better to visit your dentist so they can remove them using their professional methods.
Note: Never poke your extraction site with any inappropriate tools or techniques. Any pointed item touching the gums can worsen the condition and lead to more severe dental conditions.
Do burgers and junk foods affect your health?
Junk foods negatively impact your health, and here’s how:
Salt and sugar are harmful to oral health
The main thing that fast food companies are concerned about is to deliver you the best-tasting food. To serve this purpose, they hardly hesitate to put salt and sugar excessively to make the food taste good.
One of the main reasons why fast food is bad for your teeth is excessive salt and sugar.
What’s more, the added sugar and salt can stick to your teeth extraction site, which leads to tooth decay and cavities.
When you eat fast foods, debris is more likely to stick to your teeth. This food debris lets acids stick over the surface of the teeth, and in the end, this causes tooth decay and cavities.
And it is quite expensive to treat decayed teeth through dental treatment!
For your satisfaction, fast food is not harmful when its consumption is kept under control, but the problems arise when it is taken way too often.
Thus, if you eat burgers and fast foods on a limit, and maintain proper oral hygiene, you can protect your teeth from many dental complications.
Diabetes can impact gum health
Excess intake of fast food can increase the chances of diabetes. Diabetes, in turn, can lead to several dental problems.
According to some studies, diabetic patients are at a higher risk of developing periodontal disease.
To lower the negative impact, the patient must control their blood glucose level.
This can be done with exercises, proper diet, and adequate rest.
Increased obesity
One of the most common effects of consuming junk food is increased weight and obesity, which can cause several health issues like diabetes, joint pain and heart diseases.
The combination of loads of sugar, calories, and fats in junk food leads to increased weight.
It is highly recommended that overweight people stay away from high-calorie food until their weight is under control.
Increased chances of depression
Junk foods are filled with high sugar and fats that can cause specific chemical reactions in the brain.
The body loses essential nutrients and amino acids, and in turn, this leads to the inability of the brain to deal with stress and can leave you feeling depressed.
Worsens Appetite and Digestion
Excessive junk food leaves the brain in a dilemma.
Too much sugar intake can cause blood sugar level to fluctuate and make the brain demand more food, leading to overeating.
In the end, it makes it difficult for your body to digest excessive junk food.
Poor growth and development
Relying on junk food causes a deficiency of essential nutrients and vitamins required for your body’s better growth and development.
Poor eating habits can interfere with the development of your brain and other body parts.
Excess consumption of soda and sugar also causes the weakening of your bones.
Your cholesterol levels can increase
Many fast foods are made from animal products, deep-fried in oil, and served with cheese and high-fat dipping sauces.
The high-fat consistency in fast food can lead to high cholesterol, which can also cause atherosclerosis(A buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other substances over your artery walls, which can disrupt blood flow).
Eventually, fast food can reduce your good (HDL) cholesterol, further putting your heart at a risk of several complications.
Find alternatives to fast food
If you don’t have the time to prepare fresh, healthy meals at home, worry not, because there are other ways to get nutrition without affecting your teeth and overall health.
When eating, choose items on the menu that are less likely to stick to your teeth, i.e., salads, fruits, and fresh food.
Overall, it’s better to drink water than carbonated drinks.
How to keep your teeth clean after eating junk food?
There are many ways by which you can maintain good oral hygiene and keep your teeth clean after eating junk food.
Some of them include:
Rinse your mouth
Rinse your mouth thoroughly after eating any food.
Never forget to rinse after taking a cold drink, burgers, pizza, etc.
Rinsing helps to remove stains, aftertaste, and stuck particles around your teeth and gums.
Floss your teeth
Flossing is as essential as brushing your teeth!
Flossing is effective in removing stuck and hidden particles in the gaps of your teeth.
It is essential to floss your teeth before you sleep.
Brush your teeth
Brushing should never be ignored.
Brush your teeth in a circular, clockwise, and counter-clockwise direction.
Also, reach the brush to the back of your mouth, especially towards the molars.
Use mouthwash
Mouthwash is helpful in removing plaque from your mouth.
Use mouthwash twice or thrice a week.
Make sure not to use mouthwash after wisdom teeth removal.
Drink water
Drinking water helps to flush the debris from your mouth.
Water also reduces the risk of bacteria and tooth decay.
Drink water frequently every few hours.
Don’t eat a burger with soda
The combination of fast foods with soda worsens your teeth because food can easily stick to your teeth if you eat it along with a soda.
So, it is recommended not to drink soda often with burgers. If you do so, rinse your mouth properly after you finish your meal.
The Bottom Line
A burger is undoubtedly one of the most effective foods for satisfying your hunger, but you need to avoid them for a couple of days after wisdom teeth surgery.
After all, it is a solid food and will negatively affect your extraction site!
Apart from this, you should also take other fast foods in a limited quantity to avoid health issues that can lead to severe problems to your body.
