If you’re getting ready to undergo a root canal near you, give some thought to your post-surgery recovery period. Here are some foods to avoid and to focus on while you recover to ensure you heal quickly and completely without experiencing any complications.
Avoid crunchy and hard foods.
After a root canal, your newly infection-free tooth will be physically vulnerable. That’s why your dentist in Red Deer will place a dental crown over that tooth once you’ve fully recovered from your root canal procedure. During your recovery period, though, avoid very hard and crunchy nuts, cereals and candy that may fracture your tooth or irritate your gums near the surgery site. Good options to eat include mashed potatoes, eggs, oatmeal, macaroni and cheese (without the baked crunchy bits!), hummus and tofu.
Eat lots of soft fruit, instead.
Let’s break it down. We recommend you eat soft foods because doing so will minimize the stress placed on your treated tooth while you are recovering and while your newly infection-free tooth is vulnerable to damage. Why do we recommend you eat lots of soft fruit? While you’re recovering from root canal surgery, you may not be able to eat some of your preferred foods and meals that you rely on for nourishment. Eating lots of soft fruits like bananas, avocados, melon, papaya and mangoes will help you to get the vitamins you need. Avoid crunchy fruits like apples for a while, and remember to brush your teeth thoroughly (but gently near the site of your surgery) after eating highly acidic fruits. Those acids shouldn’t be allowed to linger because they can harm your tooth enamel.
Avoid hot foods.
By hot, we mean spicy and high-temperature foods. Your teeth and gums may be particularly sensitive to high-temperature foods during your recovery. Highly spiced foods can delay your body’s natural healing processes and some spices — ginger and turmeric (common ingredients in some curries, for example) — can even interfere with your body’s ability to form blood clots. Those clots are essential to your recovery from any oral surgery.
Consume lots of nourishing and soothing liquids.
Liquid-y foods like oatmeal (it’s liquidy if it’s kinda runny, right?), yogurt, sugar-free or low-sugar pudding, milkshakes, smoothies and meal replacement shakes are all good options during your recovery. First, they’ll help you maintain your healthy nourishment levels without placing strain on your tooth and gums. They’ll also provide some physically soothing effect on your irritated gums and treated tooth. When in doubt, err on the side of not too cold and not too hot.
Don’t drink alcohol.
Drinking alcohol during the first 48 hours after surgery can delay your recovery and contribute. Alcohol has the effect of thinning your blood, which can undermine the integrity of blood clots and your body’s healing processes. Alcohol can also interfere with the effect of medications your dentist may have prescribed following your surgery, including antibiotics and painkillers. This isn’t a food to focus on or avoid, but worth mentioning at this point. You should not smoke during your recovery period, either. Smoking can introduce bacteria into your mouth and treatment area and slow your body’s natural healing processes.
Developing complications after undergoing a root canal in Red Deer is not common, but possible. Every dentist near you who performs root canal surgery will provide you with detailed instructions about how to ensure your full and complete recovery as well as how to minimize pain and discomfort. Follow those instructions — and these guidelines — carefully to ensure your full recovery. Don’t hesitate to contact a dentist near you if you experience any unexpected or worsening symptoms.