Totally get what you mean about “soft foods” not always being as easy as they sound. I remember after my wisdom teeth came out, I figured soup would be my savior—no chewing, right? But even that was a pain if it wasn’t blended smooth enough, and anything with the tiniest chunk felt like a personal attack on my jaw. It’s funny, you think you’ll just work around it, but your mouth has other ideas.
You’re spot on about temperature making a difference. I’ve seen a lot of people gravitate toward cold stuff because it helps with swelling and just feels better. Ice cream and yogurt are almost like honorary members of the post-extraction club at this point. But then there’s always someone who tries to jump back into hot coffee or soup too soon and regrets it instantly—been there myself.
I have to agree about rice being a nightmare. Even couscous or quinoa can be a trap—those little grains find their way into every nook and cranny, and getting them out when you’re not supposed to rinse or spit is just... ugh. I usually tell folks to avoid anything that can break apart into tiny bits for at least a few days, but honestly, who remembers all the rules when you’re hungry and tired?
The jaw stiffness is another thing nobody warns you about enough. I thought I’d bounce back in a day or two, but it took nearly a week before I could open my mouth fully without that weird tight feeling. Makes you realize how much you take chewing for granted.
Funny thing is, I’ve seen people swear by things like baby food pouches or protein shakes, but I never really got into those myself. Maybe I’m just too stubborn, but I stuck to mashed potatoes and pudding too. Not glamorous, like you said, but it gets the job done.
It’s wild how something as basic as eating becomes this whole ordeal. I always wonder if there’s a “perfect” post-extraction food out there, but I haven’t found it yet... unless we’re counting ice cream, which honestly deserves its own food group during recovery.
I have to agree about rice being a nightmare. Even couscous or quinoa can be a trap—those little grains find their way into every nook and cranny, and getting them out when you’re not supposed to rinse or spit is just... ugh.
This is exactly what happened with my kid! I thought plain rice would be gentle, but those tiny grains were impossible to keep out of the extraction spot. Ended up sticking with applesauce and mashed sweet potato for a few days. It’s not glamorous, like you said, but it really does help avoid all the hassle. Hang in there—it gets easier, even if it feels like forever at first.
Ended up sticking with applesauce and mashed sweet potato for a few days. It’s not glamorous, like you said, but it really does help avoid all the hassle.
Mashed sweet potato sounds way better than what I tried—yogurt got old fast. Did your kid have any pain eating, or was it just about keeping food out of the spot? I’m nervous to eat anything that isn’t super soft...
My kid mostly just complained about the weird feeling, not so much pain, but we were both really careful. I was kinda paranoid about anything getting into the socket, so we stuck to things like mashed potatoes and pudding for almost a week. Honestly, I was scared to try anything chewy or crunchy... probably waited longer than necessary, but better safe than sorry, right? I totally get being nervous—soft foods just felt safer.
Yeah, I totally get being extra cautious. When my daughter had hers out, we were super strict with soft foods too—mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, applesauce, all that stuff. I was probably more paranoid than she was about the whole “dry socket” thing. I read somewhere that any little seed or crumb could cause issues, so we avoided things like rice or bread for a while.
Honestly, I think you’re right that it’s better to be safe than sorry, but I do wonder if we dragged out the soft food phase a bit too long. The oral surgeon said 3-5 days was usually fine for most kids, but we stretched it to almost a full week just to be sure nothing got stuck in there. Only downside was she got pretty bored of the same foods after a few days… Can’t blame her.
I guess every kid heals at their own pace, but from what I’ve seen, sticking with soft stuff until the socket closes up a bit seems like the safest route—even if it gets a little repetitive.
