Having a Tooth Pulled - Food Advice?

[Isiolia]

I had all four of my wisdom teeth out a few years ago. You'll probably have things somewhat easier since you can just use the other side to chew, which is an option I didn't have. While getting stuff caught in the socket is probably the main concern, if the tooth fully erupted it shouldn't be too bad. The annoying ones for me were the two that never fully came in, since they left some big holes that took a while to heal.

Grab a cheap blender if you don't have one (or borrow one). You can use it to make shakes/smoothies, or make soups more consistent/drinkable if needed.

[Seraph]

I recommend booze. By the time you run out, your mouth should stop hurting.

[Cantih]

When I needed a tooth pulled many years ago, I stuck those meal replacement drinks into my rotation.
Not filling though, but it works if your appetite goes down.

[Aksannyi]

I recommend booze. By the time you run out, your mouth should stop hurting.

If I didn't have to work, I would be all about that.

[BaneTheBrawler]

i had all my wisdom teeth and 4 back molars yanked all at once a few months ago. ate lots of pasta, mac n cheese, ramen, etc. didnt have to worry about it for very long, honestly. the sockets closed up pretty quick, even with my reduced healing. just be conscious of how you chew, try to keep the food towards the front of your mouth, and try not to get chunks stuck in your cheeks. pain wasn't too bad, i went with nitrous and local. it was.... an interesting experience. for long-term painkillers, i ended up just using tylenol, since the vicodin they gave me caused its own problems.

i also ate a lot of freezer pops.

[kuronosan]

No solid food, for the most part. Eat the softest things you can.

[Seraph]

If I didn't have to work, I would be all about that.

"Medically Necessary"

[Aksannyi]

Well there's also the part where I'll have to drive home, too, and I'm pretty sure "medically necessary" won't get me out of a DUI.

[Deadgye]

If you're just getting regular novocain shots, then you'll be able to drive home no problem. Which tooth is it in particular, and is it rotting/actually falling apart? (Like if you tried to pinch it with your fingers, would some of it crumble?)

[Squah]

I had mashed potatoes when I had mine out a few years back (age 20 I think). Just have to let it cool off quite a bit before eating, and you could bring it to work since they have those microwaveable ones.

[Aksannyi]

If you're just getting regular novocain shots, then you'll be able to drive home no problem. Which tooth is it in particular, and is it rotting/actually falling apart? (Like if you tried to pinch it with your fingers, would some of it crumble?)

It doesn't fall apart to the touch, but I have lost pieces of it steadily over the past year or so. It's my top left wisdom tooth. I can actually grab it with my fingers and kind of wiggle it (not enough to just pull it out though) so I think they should be able to just numb me up and yank it, at least that's what I'm hoping.

[Deadgye]

Sounds similar to what I dealt with a few years ago then. I had a root canal on my bottom right molar when I was younger, and eventually the filling came out. I'd have to fish food out of it after I ate. It probably got infected or whatever and then started causing me intense pain, fetal position on the floor until the 600-1200mg of ibuprofen would kick in pain, and even then pain still existed. When it got pulled, all I was prescribed was bigger ibuprofen pills. I used them sparingly over the next 2-3 days because compared to the pain before the soreness was nothing.

If you have plenty of room for the wisdom tooth, and therefore he has room to work with, it should come out quite easily. If there's not a lot of room to work with, he might have to cut/wiggle a bit more. The longer he spends getting it out, the more sore it will be and the longer the soreness will last. As long as it's not rotting though it should be fairly quick in either case.

If you're like me you won't bother to start eating until the blood stops, so eat something that won't stay in your teeth before it's pulled so you're not starving. Then start off with something not solid that doesn't involve chewing, the pudding you mentioned is perfect. Then when you feel like it you can move over to softer foods and just chew on the opposite side. Gently rinse your mouth out with room temperature salt water if you get worried about something being stuck in your new gaping hole. And obviously no spitting, sucking, straws, etc for a few days.

[Ddz]

When I had wisdom teeth extracted, I was still able to eat burritos and soft foods. Just clean the affected area with one of those water syringe things after meals.

[Cantih]

I had mashed potatoes when I had mine out a few years back (age 20 I think). Just have to let it cool off quite a bit before eating, and you could bring it to work since they have those microwaveable ones.

This is a fair choice. Potatoes paired with milk provides surprisingly complete nutrition.

[Psion]

This sounds exactly like a job for soylent. :D

[Xantavia]

If I didn't have to work, I would be all about that.

I thought you worked in dispatch or something that required talking? How is that going to work out if you are numbed up with novacaine?

I agree with staying away from rice or other small items. My teeth have been bad for years, and small things like that always require some skillful toothpick work to get out. I can make a meal out of bread and butter as long as it doesn't have a hard outer crust. You should be able to have more than soft foods, but I would recommend small pieces and chewing slowly and deliberately so you don't surprise yourself with a sudden burst of pain.

[BaneTheBrawler]

unless she's having both bottom sides numbed novocaine won't affect her speech too much. just gotta enunciate. even with both bottom sides numb you can still talk, you just have to make a conscious effort to make sure your tongue forms the right shapes.

top won't affect speech at all.

source: a root canal three crowns and seven pulled teeth since last fall.

[Abandon]

This sounds exactly like a job for soylent. :D

eat shit

[shepardG]

Wow, this is absolutely not how i had mine done.

I had mine pulled in... spring of 2005, in the military, so that might be different but things i've noted with myself and anyone else I've seen that's had wisdom teeff's removed:

-I had general anesthesia, and I drove home after. I actually woke up in the middle of mine, looked at the doc/nurse, felt nothing and was like... sleep good, and passed back out again.
-They had to cut one out, and when they were working on the other it broke so they had to pull those pieces out.
-I got 30 percocet 5's.... you will probably get the same. I honestly didn't use but like 10 of them over the next 4-5 days. It throbbed, but never like outright hurt the shit out of me. (I threw the rest away *cough*)
-I think i took it easy on food the first day and then was like, fuck this, and ate normal. However, the one thing i made sure i didn't do for 2 weeks was eat anything that required a sucking motion... so no straw's, nothing to create negative airpressure in your mouth, this is so you don't pull the clot's out of the sockets. The clot's 1. keep the thing closed up so food doesn't get in there 2. are what healing is for. So don't be giving no blow J's to nobody
- I had the day off work, but honestly didn't need it, I think i played FFXI all day back then...
- oh, before they gave me general I think they numbed me up with local, to ease the process... I think the best part about general is your not aware your sitting there with your mouth WIDE fucking open for like 20-30 mins.

Oh yeah, honestly that's what hurt the most. My actual jaw from where they had their hands elbow deep in my pie hole. Now that i mentioned that, I remember that hurting the most over the next two days, but it was sorta like just pulling a muscle, it went away with no i'll effects. The actual teeth surgery was just a dual ache.

I remember this process cause it took place on like a tuesday or wensday, I got off work that day and the next, and then took that weekend off and went and saw the woman that would end up being my ex-wife 1.5 years later.

anyway, put them shits under your pillow (JUST KIDDING, THAT'S MEDICAL WASTE, AND IT'S ILLEGAL FOR THEM TO GIVE THEM TO YOU, thanks obama!)

[Abandon]

p. much the same for me, except i got gas and IV. It took them 35 minutes to wake me, as i was fucknig done for. got 30 percs, and took my ass home and played ffxi like a fucking boss (early 2007). Bled like fuck the first 2 days, after that not much of anything. I used maybe.. 10 of mine, and properly disposed of the rest *wink*... but i stuck to mainly yogurt, ice cream, etc, because i heard horror stories of dry socket, and i wanted none of that experience.