Can I eat ice cream after teeth cleaning

Why do doctors advise you to have ice-cream after a tooth extraction?

Oct 01, 2019

Teeth can be a great concern when something is not going right. Today, people have increased their knowledge of oral health. More people are visiting the dentists’ offices today to check the condition of their teeth.

Ideally, teeth are supposed to last you a lifetime. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen the way you would want it to. Any issue, ranging from gum bleeding to a missing tooth can have you rushing to your dentist in seconds. Your dentist will tell you that not every dental problem warrants a tooth extraction.

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Why do you need a tooth extraction procedure?

There are different reasons why you may need to have your tooth extracted. For some people, a tooth may be impacted by the lack of space in your bone structure. If your jaw is not big enough, some teeth may lack space to grow. In this case, tooth extraction helps facilitate better growth of other teeth, by creating more room.

That is not always the case. Some people need their teeth extracted because of cavities and decays. The decay can be too severe that the affected tooth cannot be saved. Patients with such teeth experience severe toothaches. Getting your tooth extracted is a reasonable solution to relieve you of the agony of toothache. Toothaches can be so bad as to cause headaches, swollen cheeks, and even hold you back from eating.

After following the advice of your doctor to get a tooth extraction in Diberville, MS, you may wonder why you need to have ice-cream. The first few weeks after your tooth extractions might be different for you. The food choices you make will change to accommodate the healing process. However, that does not explain why you need to eat ice-cream after your tooth removal by a dentist.

The importance of eating ice-cream after tooth extraction

The tooth extraction process usually involves the use of local anesthesia. The role of anesthesia is to numb your mouth from the pain that might result from the extraction process. The effects should wear off a few hours after the procedure.

Following the procedure, it is normal for your gum and cheek to be swollen. Swelling cannot be avoided after tooth removal in Diberville MS. However, it can be minimized. Cold compression is commonly used to help reduce pain and selling.

By placing a cold compress on the side of your cheek, you can significantly lower the swelling caused by the tooth extraction. Ice-creams are typically very cold. Eating an ice-cream after the procedure acts as a cold compress for your swelling.

When you eat ice-cream, the blood vessels around the extracted tooth narrow down. The constriction of the blood vessels prevents them from carrying a lot of fluid to the surrounding tissues of the extracted tooth. This is how swelling is reduced. Taking ice-cream is recommended within the first 24 hours of the procedure. This is when most of the swelling happens.

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What happens after the first 24 hours?

Eating ice-cream should not become a habit just because your dentist asked you to have it. Cold compressing works best within the first 24 hours of getting your tooth extracted. After that, you may want to change methods to achieve the same results.

Technically, a warm compress is also useful in reducing swelling. Heat does the converse of cold. Heat compress will dilate the blood vessels in the surrounding tissue of the affected area. This allows more flow of fluids in the area. This will not only aid healing but also reduce swelling.

However, instead of taking hot fluids, try warm compressing externally. Take a piece of cloth or towel and damp it in warm water. Gently press the warm towel on the cheek of the extracted tooth. You can repeat this process twice in a day to help with the swelling.

Cold or hot foods 48 hours after tooth extraction

Changes in temperature will have an effect on your tooth after extraction. The wound is still healing and requires ample time.

Avoid foods that are too cold or too hot because they will be doing a disservice to your healing process. Instead, go for warm foods and lukewarm fluids until your gum is fully healed. The last thing you want is to rip off the clot that indicates healing.

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