Dietary Suggestions After Dentistry Asleep ®

Good nutrition and hydration are important while recovering from Dentistry Asleep ®. You need enough energy, vitamins, minerals and water for your system to quickly return to a normal, alert and active feeling as well as for the treated tissues to repair, recover and resist infection.

Healing increases your requirements for calories, protein, vitamins, minerals and water so you may need more food and drink than normal over the next 10 to 14 days. Here are my suggestions to help you:

  • Drink at least 6 large glasses of caffeine and alcohol free beverages a day. Choose a variety of beverages including milk, milkshakes, fruit and vegetable juices, soups, soft drinks and water. Avoid very hot food and drink both in temperature and spices.
  • Eat 6 small meals each day instead of 3 normal ones. Include several servings of high protein foods each day such as meat or poultry pureed by a blender or food processor, poached fish, milk puddings, custards, milkshakes and eggs or eggnog, tofu or peanut butter.
  • Supplement your diet with a multiple vitamin especially one containing vitamins A, C, D and E that are essential for healing. Carnation Instant Breakfast is an effective, readily available nutritional supplement.
  • Codeine in Tylenol #3, a low fiber intake, and fasting before your appointment can combine to create constipation. If this occurs, increase your fiber intake with berries, legumes, bran or flax. Red River Cereal with blueberries or strawberries is an excellent source of fiber.
  • Antibiotics and increased dairy intake can cause diarrhea. This is usually transient and will resolve in a few days. Increased fiber intake can help. If prolonged and severe, stop taking your antibiotics and contact the office and talk to of my Registered Nurses.
  • Maintain excellent oral hygiene by gently brushing and rinsing your mouth after every meal. Using any ultra soft toothbrush is best. A waterpik may also be helpful.
  • If you're experiencing headaches, consider whether you're suffering from withdrawal from caffeine. If you normally have more than one coffee, tea or can of cola each day and you aren't getting any caffeine in your diet, you may develop headaches. If you are taking any Tylenol compounds, two tablets have caffeine equal to about 1/4 cup of coffee.

If you need some more ideas on what to eat, take a look at Dr. Dann’s Low Chew Diet. There are great ideas and recipes on how to get the nutrition you need after Dentistry Asleep ®.