26 Mar What is the Recommended Diet After Jaw Surgery?
Corrective jaw surgery can be a valuable tool for improving the appearance and function of a patient’s smile, but it does require a certain amount of planning in order to have a smooth recovery period. One aspect of preparation on the patient’s part involves dietary changes that patients must adopt while healing from the surgery.
Your oral surgeon will give you more thorough post-operative instructions, including recommended foods, but here is a general overview. There may be different restrictions depending on the extent of the surgery, but patients who are recovering from jaw surgery typically must eat soft foods for the first few weeks following their procedure. You may be encouraged to even blend your foods with some liquid at first. This may sound off-putting, but you’ll be surprised at the variety of foods that you can eat using this method, including ground meats, vegetables, beans and even spaghetti. You can also easily transform scrambled eggs and cottage cheese and fruit into blended meals.
Commercially prepared baby food can also provide appropriate nutrition for a patient who has undergone jaw surgery. It might be a bit bland for grown-up taste buds, though, so experiment with adding seasonings to make it more palatable.
After your jaw surgery, you will have follow-up appointments during which your oral surgeon will monitor your healing and give you guidance on when you can incorporate more solid foods into your diet. Don’t get too ambitious too quickly, or you could set back your healing process.
In addition to the dietary adjustments that you’ll make after your jaw surgery, you must also carefully follow the surgeon’s other instructions as well to reduce your risk of post-operative complications. Make sure you clean your mouth as directed to limit the presence of bacteria and the chances of resulting infection.
Do you need more information on preparing your meals following jaw surgery? Contact Central Oklahoma Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates and speak with one of our helpful staff members today!