I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed tomorrow. What should I eat?

Ok, so after putting it off for 10 (15?) years, I'm finally getting my wisdom teeth removed tomorrow -- all 4 of them. I'll lay in supplies of all the usual suspects... ice cream, jello, yogurt, applesauce, etc. but what's something delicious, not too hard/complicated to make (I'll be on Percoset after all), and that's *not* a dessert.

Extra credit for linking to the recipe here on Food52. :-)

Peter
  • Posted by: Peter
  • December 12, 2013
  • 5339 views
  • 21 Comments

21 Comments

luvcookbooks December 15, 2013
Pat Willard, "A Soothing Broth" and the "Laurel's Kitchen Caring" have recipes for all kinds of illnesses. My daughter liked smoothies and avgolemono soup when she had her wisdom teeth out this summer. It was only a few days before she started solids.
 
Sam1148 December 12, 2013
I'd go for painkillers, blankets and old movies.
Okay...Miso Soup with tofu.
Maybe some shashimi the next day or so.
Try out some baby food stuff, which is easy and available and you can find gourmet baby food at most places that are a cut above the Gerber stuff.
 
Peter December 12, 2013
Sam, if only it were as simple as painkillers, blankets and old movies. Did I mention we have a 23 month old and a 7 week old? And that I could only do the surgery on a Friday before a weekend when no one is available to help us out? Ugh.
 
ATG117 December 12, 2013
You may not be eating as much as you think ;) this coming from someone who only had one removed. But I'd suggest smoothies and anything else that doesn't need to be too hot or too cold. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to stay away from hot stuff for a little while.
 
Summer O. December 12, 2013
I enjoyed milkshakes and vichyssoise.
 
bigpan December 12, 2013
Whatever soft foods you choose, (I like poached egg after dental work), be sure to rinse and clean your mouth as directed by the dentist to avoid infections.
Stay away from taffy for awhile.
 
HalfPint December 12, 2013
I would make pastina. Just simmer some small pasta (like orzo, acini di pepe or spaghetti broken into small pieces) in water (3-4TB per cup water), until the pasta is soft and the water is somewhat evaporated. Turn off the heat. Crack in an egg and stir quickly to cook the egg. The egg is optional. Add a couple generous spoons of grated cheese, your choice, parmesan is traditional. Taste and add more salt if needed. Optional: some fresh ground black pepper.

Pastina is traditionally cooked for the young and the sick. Quick comfort food that is very satisfying. And it's great on cold evening.
 
meganvt01 December 12, 2013
I have one word of warning - I made Reeve's roasted carrot soup and the genious cauliflower soup after my wisdom tooth surgery last year. They were fantastic and it made me so happy to have something delicious to eat. However, now, when I try to make those recipes, I have slightly queasy flashbacks from that week when I didn't feel all that well and the soups are just not satisfying for me anymore. So hopefully you won't be putting yourself off any recipe in particular like me :)
 
saragrad December 12, 2013
Good luck! When I had my wisdom tooth out, I drank a lot of smoothies made from a ton of frozen berries and plenty of full fat plain yogurt. Add an avocado, a banana and some ground flax seeds, you will have a complete balanced meal in liquid form!
 
creamtea December 12, 2013
They may say to have mostly cold food; when I had my tonsils out I wasn't allowed hot. Maybe call the oral surgeon's office today to check? Speedy recover, Peter!
 
creamtea December 12, 2013
Make what you can today; you may not feel up to it tomorrow. I also had 4 out at once. Way back when.
 
Author Comment
When I had my wisdom teeth out I had a vanilla milkshake with a big blob of soft serve vanilla ice cream plopped in. I was on a lot of Vicodin. I think that was the happiest moment of my life.
 
Eliz. December 12, 2013
In the neither-soup-nor-dessert category:
Breakfast: April B's porridge (A Girl and her Pig, recipe here at F52). Also consult instructions for perfect scrambled eggs. 101 Cookbook's baked oatmeal, though I'd recommend not including the walnuts given effect of all those shardy bits on tender gums. Bake an egg.
Purees: There's a butternut squash hummus on this site as well. Hummus is good in all guises. Along these lines, you'll find lots of links to Peter Berley's recipe for a vegan (Gina, take note) pate made w winter squash, sage, walnuts (in this case, blitzed, so painless) and sun-dried tomatoes which is even better when made with roasted sweet potatoes.
And with a sigh and a nod to genius: Judy Rodgers has a wonderfully soothing recipe for boiled kale poured over a soggy piece of decently air-pocketed bread. Looks humble--pathos meets self-pity--but lap it up and you will feel your soul mend along with your mouth.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx December 12, 2013
Oh, I had no idea there was a difference in search results using one over the other.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx December 12, 2013
Peter, you didn't hit the magnifying glass to do the search? Just curious.
 
ChefJune December 12, 2013
Good choice, Peter! I'd make Split Pea Soup and puree it. Indulging in a milk shake could make you feel pretty good, too. :)
 
Peter December 12, 2013
Lambchop, I guess one is never too old to learn something new. I did my search in the little box at the top of The Hotline where you search/ask a mew question. What shows up there is dramatically more limited that using the site search in the upper right corner of the screen. Thanks!
 
Peter December 12, 2013
I should have knows this was asked before. I searched for "wisdom teeth" but not for "soft foods" or "oral surgery". Doh!

But plesse, keep the suggestions coming!

oh, and by the way, I think I'm making this tonight to say goodbye to my wisdom teeth:

http://food52.com/recipes/19524-brown-butter-marshmallow-popcorn
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx December 12, 2013
I did a search for wisdom teeth : )
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx December 12, 2013
http://food52.com/hotline/21604-suggestions-for-dishes-that-are-actually-delicious-but-soft
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx December 12, 2013
http://food52.com/hotline/21056-what-to-eat-after-mouth-surgery
 
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