The Benefits of Ice Cream After Having Your Teeth Pulled
For years, dental care professionals have recommended ice cream to limit swelling and pain after the local anesthesia wears off. Swelling in the cheek and gum area is a common side effect of surgical procedures in the mouth. Acute inflammation can cause soreness, pain and redness. Eating ice cream acts as a cold pack by constricting the blood vessels surrounding the extracted tissue. As a result, it reduces the flow of fluid to the area while reducing the amount of blood loss as well.
Promoting healing and pain relief
Another way to increase healing time is to make sure that your diet has an adequate amount of protein. Your body needs protein to help build and repair muscle, skin, and other body tissues. Protein also helps fight infection, balance body fluids, and carry oxygen through your body. It is important to think of food as medicine! If you were having difficulty eating and chewing before your procedure, you may have avoided foods that may be high in protein (e.g., beef, chicken, pork, etc). Some procedures require a longer healing time which means it is even more critical to keep up your nutritional health. Seniors requiring dentures are more at risk of extreme weight loss and longer healing times since some have trouble chewing and adjusting to their new teeth. A general rule of thumb, for the first two weeks after a surgical procedure, you should avoid any foods that require “more than three chews” to swallow. (High protein ice cream is a perfect solution). Of course, If you are going to indulge in an ice cream shake, please make sure that you are not using a straw. The straw may irritate your gums or dental tissue by accidentally hitting the healing area! You should always follow your dentist’s post-operative instructions regarding what you can eat and when. Heavenly Hash Creamery ice cream is a high protein CBD ice cream that is the perfect frozen treat and will satisfy both the protein need and cold therapy requirements for speeding up the healing process.
REFERENCES
1) Nutrition Guidelines To Improve Wound Healing. My Cleveland Clinic website https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11111-nutrition-guidelines-to-improve-wound-healing .Accessed June 15,2020. 2) Dry Socket. Medline Plus website by the National Institute of Health https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000780.htmAccessed June 15,2020 3) Impact of Denture Usage Patterns on Dietary Quality and Food Avoidance Among Older Adults. National Institute of Health Website Savoca MR, Acury TA, Leng X, et al. Impact https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3545413/Accessed June 15, 2020This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.
It caught my attention when you told us that eating ice cream after tooth extraction can work as a cold pack since it helps constrict the blood vessels surrounding the extracted tissue and reduce the flow of fluid to the area. My cousin is scheduled for a dental appointment tomorrow, so I was thinking of getting ice cream with her afterward. I’ll keep this in mind while I look for a nearby ice cream parlor we can go to tomorrow. https://www.thomasicecreamcafe.com/
Elina Brooks
March 11, 2023
It caught my attention when you told us that eating ice cream after tooth extraction can work as a cold pack since it helps constrict the blood vessels surrounding the extracted tissue and reduce the flow of fluid to the area. My cousin is scheduled for a dental appointment tomorrow, so I was thinking of getting ice cream with her afterward. I’ll keep this in mind while I look for a nearby ice cream parlor we can go to tomorrow. https://www.thomasicecreamcafe.com/