Wisdom Tooth Removal

alondrakar
alondrakar Posts: 67 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have this procedure scheduled for Saturday I am very nervous over both it and the healing process. I know there is a list of the things I can or can't eat which is fine but I don't think I'll be moving much for a few days at the very least (right?) and since I can't eat solids I am scared I'll lose too much weight.

I am 5 pounds away from my goal and I don't want to lost those 5 pounds this weekend from lack of solid foods only to gain it back when I am able to eat normal foods again.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, I don't know.

Help?

Replies

  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    alondrakar wrote: »
    I have this procedure scheduled for Saturday I am very nervous over both it and the healing process. I know there is a list of the things I can or can't eat which is fine but I don't think I'll be moving much for a few days at the very least (right?) and since I can't eat solids I am scared I'll lose too much weight.

    I am 5 pounds away from my goal and I don't want to lost those 5 pounds this weekend from lack of solid foods only to gain it back when I am able to eat normal foods again.

    Maybe I'm overthinking it, I don't know.

    Help?

    You are overthinking it. You can't lose fat that fast without exercise when you are that close to goal and you can't gain it back only resuming solid foods. It takes 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat and at least that much to gain a pound.

    Your weight will likely fluctuate because of fluid retention but it should return to normal in less than a week.

    Take care of yourself and worry about weight loss when it is all over and you are feeling good again.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I do lose weight when not eating solid foods, and it does come back. You already know what might happen, so can be prepared :)

    Also be prepared to look like a chipmunk with nuts in your cheek(s) :)
  • slbbw
    slbbw Posts: 329 Member
    You are over thinking it. There will also be some water weight fluctuations due to the surgery and possible loss of appetite. If you want to make sure you still consume the right number of calories smoothies will be your friend. Likely the lower appetite will correspond to the lower activity, but do given yourself time to heal. Even with oral surgery the entire system is affected. If you do end up eating enough to lose fat t, sticking to your calories when you do feel like eating again will make sure you do not gain it back. If there is a 5lb up 5lb down over the course of a week or two, it was only water weight.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,415 Member
    I have had all my wisdom teeth and one other tooth extracted. I wasn't in a lot of pain or anything, but they do suggest not eating on the site for a couple days, but you can eat on the other side.

    I used it as an excuse to eat all the soft foods like mashed potatoes, soup, apple sauce, root beer floats, yogurt smoothies, you know - like that. It's is only an issue for a couple/three days.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    I ate a ton of mashed potatoes and ice cream when I had a wisdom tooth removed, so calories were NOT a problem :wink: I only had one out, but recovery really wasn't that bad for me. Hopefully you'll find the same, good luck!

    Teehee, me too. Mashed potatoes with lots of butter. I had all four out at once but I was 14 so I think recovery was a little easier because of that.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    You're overthinking it.

    I have had all four wisdom teeth removed, and it's no fun, but you'll get through it. You can get plenty of calories without solid food for a few days. Milkshakes, full-fat yogurt, protein shakes, smoothies. Just DO NOT use a straw, which I'm sure your post-procedure instructions will tell you.

    Really, it's only a few days until you can eat solid foods again, so it's not going to affect you too much.
    Follow your doctor's instructions and focus on healing.
  • tracybear86
    tracybear86 Posts: 163 Member
    How long you are "down" for will probably depend on if you are having the teeth pulled or extracted and how many they are doing at once. I had to have all 4 of mine extracted in one go in high school because they were impacted (growing in horizontally into my other teeth). I was down for probably a week and couldn't start on solid foods for about the same amount of time, then had to gradually introduce things (watch out for rice, it can get stuck in your holes!). I had a lot of milkshakes and blender soup for the first week so not necessarily low cal. I just wouldn't worry about your weight so much and let your body heal. Take your time because you don't want to end up with dry socket, it's apparently extremely painful.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    I concur with the others. You're overthinking. Take a deep breath and calm yourself. <3
  • gottswald
    gottswald Posts: 122 Member
    edited June 2019
    You can blend anything. I've blended pot roast, pickles and broth, Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes with milk, bacon cheeseburger and fries and beef broth, and many other things that will never be mentioned. Wisdom teeth removal isn't that bad, you'll be fine :)

    There are plenty more ideas for foods beyond the obvious soft ones. It's all calories, just have to alter the 'form' it goes in your mouth. Do a google search for "orthognathic surgery recipes" or similar and you'll find plenty of ideas to fit your needs.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I never had any food restrictions when I had a wisdom tooth pulled. I DID have an infection when one impacted tooth socket got infected. I couldn't open my mouth enough to put food in with a spoon or fork. I ate a lot of scrambled eggs because I could put small amounts in my mouth, then swallow without chewing. Same thing with meatballs.

    OP: you can gain weight, lode weight, or maintain on a liquid or soft food diet. It all depends on choices, just like eating at any other time.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,267 Member
    I agree... you are overthinking it. Get some chocolate popsicles and don't worry about the next few days.
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 1,049 Member
    Overthinking it, i had mine out and could eat pretty normally with soft- solid foods within the week. Just DO NOT USE A STRAW TO DRINK WITH. Seriously, dry sockets are the worst!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    If you do lose weight then gain it back, you’ll be at the same place as you were pre-surgery. That’s not a problem, proceed from there and tackle those last 5 lbs. congrats 🎉
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Overthinking it. In the grand scheme of things this is pretty immaterial. Even if you do lose that weight (which will be mostly water anyway) and you go back up, then you're right where you are right now...no biggie.
  • thanos5
    thanos5 Posts: 513 Member
    RachelElser wrote: »
    Overthinking it, i had mine out and could eat pretty normally with soft- solid foods within the week. Just DO NOT USE A STRAW TO DRINK WITH. Seriously, dry sockets are the worst!

    qft. i thought it would be brilliant to smoke a bunch after surgery, to help with pain. it did the exact opposite.

    you got this, OP. it's very temporary, you'll come out ok :smile:
  • alondrakar
    alondrakar Posts: 67 Member
    Thank you all very much. This was so helpful! Y'all are the best :)
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Not a wisdom tooth, but I had oral surgery. Calories were not an issue because it was an excuse for lots of ice cream (which the doctor recommended) and milkshakes. My recovery was kind of hard because it had to do with the bone and I could not chew for a good while, but I didn't lose weight. I suggest taking a maintenance break to recover. Don't overthink it, just log your food/drinks and you should be fine regardless of what the scale tries to tell you while your body recovers.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Not a wisdom tooth, but I had oral surgery. Calories were not an issue because it was an excuse for lots of ice cream (which the doctor recommended) and milkshakes. My recovery was kind of hard because it had to do with the bone and I could not chew for a good while, but I didn't lose weight. I suggest taking a maintenance break to recover. Don't overthink it, just log your food/drinks and you should be fine regardless of what the scale tries to tell you while your body recovers.

    Man, if I had wisdom teeth left, it would be a great way to enjoy some liquid calories. Knowing how it feels, though, I ain't going through that again.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    edited June 2019
    Way overthinking this.

    I had mine pulled in boot camp and was doing PT 24 hours later.

    Just stay ahead of the pain and follow the direction of your physician.
  • Dianetheinvincible
    Dianetheinvincible Posts: 18 Member
    edited June 2019
    Getting wisdom teeth out was a huge ordeal in the olden days :smiley: but I had a wisdom tooth out not quite 3 weeks ago and it was much easier than I expected. Local anesthetic only, I was in and out of there within 45 minutes, no lingering effects except that it took a long time to stop bleeding. They didn't send home any drugs, told me to take ibuprofen together with acetaminophen, which worked fine and I stopped taking it within 24 hours.

    Important rules: don't do anything within the first 48 hours that could cause you to start bleeding again (significant exercise or anything else that raises your blood pressure). They told me that walking is fine. Do not spit (this is hard to remember when you're brushing your teeth so be careful), and do not suck anything (straws, lollipops, popsicles, cigarettes) for at least several days. These rules are to prevent dislodging the blood clot that forms so you don't get a "dry socket"--which I'm told is excruciating. Last rule, when you resume solid foods don't eat anything with seeds, rice, or other small bits that could get lodged in the wound.

    What I ate for the first couple days: applesauce, yogurt, cereal that I let soak in the milk til soft, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, sweet potato sort of mashed, macaroni and cheese, bananas...can't remember what else. If it's not blazing hot where you live, soups are a great option, just don't slurp/suck it off the spoon. I started eating more solid (but not hard) foods in 2 or 3 days, and now I'm eating almost anything, but I'm careful to chew only on the opposite side. I have sutures that are supposed to dissolve on their own.

    If you are careful to follow the rules I think you'll be pleasantly surprised that it's not a huge thing. I did lose several pounds since my previous weigh-in but I'm sure some of that is from staying under my calorie goal, and some is probably water. I work outdoors and it's been hot as hell here for weeks so I've been sweating/drinking, sweating/drinking. I imagine next time I weigh in I might be a couple pounds heavier as things even out.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    RelCanonical wrote: »
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Not a wisdom tooth, but I had oral surgery. Calories were not an issue because it was an excuse for lots of ice cream (which the doctor recommended) and milkshakes. My recovery was kind of hard because it had to do with the bone and I could not chew for a good while, but I didn't lose weight. I suggest taking a maintenance break to recover. Don't overthink it, just log your food/drinks and you should be fine regardless of what the scale tries to tell you while your body recovers.

    Man, if I had wisdom teeth left, it would be a great way to enjoy some liquid calories. Knowing how it feels, though, I ain't going through that again.

    Well, there is still a chance for me. I only have one wisdom tooth, which decided to show up at the age of 35, and another trying to make its way out this year. No sign of the other two, I guess I'm not wise enough for a full set yet.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    RelCanonical wrote: »
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Not a wisdom tooth, but I had oral surgery. Calories were not an issue because it was an excuse for lots of ice cream (which the doctor recommended) and milkshakes. My recovery was kind of hard because it had to do with the bone and I could not chew for a good while, but I didn't lose weight. I suggest taking a maintenance break to recover. Don't overthink it, just log your food/drinks and you should be fine regardless of what the scale tries to tell you while your body recovers.

    Man, if I had wisdom teeth left, it would be a great way to enjoy some liquid calories. Knowing how it feels, though, I ain't going through that again.

    Well, there is still a chance for me. I only have one wisdom tooth, which decided to show up at the age of 35, and another trying to make its way out this year. No sign of the other two, I guess I'm not wise enough for a full set yet.

    I had full set, but didn't even have room for my 12-year molars (fortunately, years of orthodontics allowed me to keep those, at least!) let alone wisdom teeth, so I pray for no surprise teeth, lol.
  • peggy_polenta
    peggy_polenta Posts: 325 Member
    overthinking. its not that bad. mine where impacted and i had to have them removed by a surgeon and they had to break them into pieces while still attached to my jaw so they could remove them (cause the were impacted.) walked out of the hospital smoking a cigarette and also walked myself home. the worst pain was from the thing they use to stretch out your lips. my cheeks were a bit bruised the next day from it. that's about it.
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    I had one removed last week. I gained weight eating ice cream 😂 Ok not only ice cream but mostly

Categories