10 days since extraction - is it safe to eat?

[ripply]

I'm still too frightened to eat anything because when I tried to, it was impossible to stop the food going near the 'hole' on the other side. Also, even though it looks quite well healed up now, the stitches are still there. The dentist said they will dissolve on their own but I'm scared that eating could rip them out and cause all sorts of problems. I haven't starved as I've had lots of drinks and milkshakes but I'm now really craving proper food. I've read that people were eating on the extraction side around a week later. Would this not cause infection? Could anyone tell me when it is definitely safe, or how long it was before they could eat?

 

[Dr David Lee]

Hi ripply,

It is absolutely safe to eat, especially 10 days after an extraction. The sutures (stitches) that are still in place may keep food out of the socket, and they could come out. They are meant to come out on their own, and 10 days is plenty of time, so you do not have to worry.

Eating food after an extraction will not cause an infection. Food can get trapped in the extraction socket, which can be easily removed by flushing the extraction socket with a syringe. You can also do salt water rinses (tablespoon of salt in warm water) to disinfect and to keep the area clean.

Hope that helps and don't hesitate to ask any questions!