After wisdom teeth removal, you must follow a gradual diet timeline to ensure proper healing and avoid complications like dry socket.

### Immediately After Surgery (First 24 Hours)

For the first day, you should stick strictly to liquids and very soft foods. It is critical to avoid hot liquids, as heat can dissolve the protective blood clot. Recommended options include:

• Dairy: Yogurt, pudding, cottage cheese, and milkshakes (without seeds or crunchy mix-ins).
• Grains: Oatmeal and creamy mashed potatoes.
• Fruits: Applesauce, smoothies, and mashed bananas.
• Proteins: Protein shakes and lukewarm broth or blended soups.

### Days Three to Seven

During this window, you can begin adding semi-soft options while continuing to chew away from the extraction site. Safe additions include:

• Well-cooked pasta.
• Soft bread.
• Scrambled eggs and soft, flaked fish (like salmon).

### Resuming Normal Eating

Most patients can begin testing firmer textures by the second week. You may be able to enjoy a burger around the two-week mark if you chew on the opposite side and avoid biting directly into it. However, crunchy or hard items should remain off-limits until the socket closes further.

### Critical Dietary Precautions

• Do NOT use a straw for at least one week; the suction can cause a painful dry socket.
• Avoid crunchy or sharp foods like chips, crackers, nuts, and seeds, as these can lodge in the healing socket.
• Skip spicy or acidic foods (like citrus) which can irritate exposed tissue.
• Avoid alcohol and tobacco, as they slow the rebuilding process.