Undergoing a dental treatment that involves a significant recovery time can be stressful enough without worrying about what you’ll be able to eat following the procedure. Thankfully, with some planning ahead, you can be prepared with a soft diet that won’t aggravate your tender mouth or cause issues with dental work. A soft diet consists of foods that are easy to chew and swallow and how long you’ll have to be on it depends on the type of dental procedure you’ve undergone.
Types of soft diets
Soft diets consist of two main types. One type is usually medically recommended and a way of life that resembles a regular diet but doesn’t have fiber, spices or fatty foods. The other type of soft diet is a temporary measure called a mechanical soft diet that’s done mainly for comfort during recovery. This type of soft diet can include any foods you want as long as it’s softened through mashing or puree.
Planning a soft diet
When you know you’ll need to be on a soft diet after a dental treatment, planning ahead is a good idea, as you may not want to fuss with preparing food immediately after the procedure. Stock up on soft foods including fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, dairy products and meat, anything you think you can handle eating after it’s gone through a food processor or blender. If you have a smoothie maker, that’s a great way to get all your fruits, vegetables and even dairy together in one meal that’s easy to swallow. Another good way to eat vegetables is by cooking them until they’re soft enough to mash with a fork.
Foods to avoid
Although you can eat just about anything that appeals and that can be softened during a soft diet, some types of food don’t do well in food processors or blenders. These foods include crackers, nuts, snack foods and vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower that don’t mash easily. Raw fruits, coconut, beef jerky and anything containing large meat chunks won’t do well as part of a soft diet, but as it’s only temporary, you can look forward to enjoying them later.
Have your soft diet tools ready
During a temporary soft diet, you need the right tools to make your meals such as a blender, food processor and/or smoothie maker. Before your dental treatment, look around online for recipes that fit in with your soft diet. Find foods that don’t require a lot of chewing and don’t have extreme temperatures such as ice cream or hot soup, as they can cause discomfort in your healing mouth.
If you have any questions regarding a mechanical soft diet following a dental procedure, you can always discuss them with our professionals at Dupont Dental. We want you to be comfortable before, during and after any dental treatment.
