What's easy to eat after dental work?

[MetsFan5]

44 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Scaling isn’t as bad as the other stuff they might do.  I’d imagine pastas would be tolerable. And wine. 

 

If you have gum issues you might consider periostat, an anti inflammatory that improves periodontal dz without surgery. 

 What type of anti inflammatory? I want to go in asking as many questions as possible. 

[MetsFan5]

@Margaret Pilgrim if your dental team is in the SF bay area I could definitely visit twice annually. I do see my dentist 4 times a year. I am diligent about that and had a very traumatic experience with my pediatric dentist. I just have shit luck and I grind my jaw, you name it I’ve done it. 

 

  I don’t like scotch; I actually avoid liquors. I may have to make an exception and mix some vodka with V8 or La Croix. 

 

  I can get by easily on very little food (although I’m eating nachos right now because... I still can!) so even bouillon cubes in mugs can make a decent dinner for me. 

 

  It’s not just the scaling, it’s the novacain that goes with it plus holding my child sized jaw open for over an hour that makes food difficult. 

  I have a hand blender that works well but probably won’t have the energy to be in the kitchen. Maybe I’ll get a Panera bread bowl delivered depending on what soup they have tomorrow. 

 

 Thanks for all the advice and well wishes! 

Edited August 19, 2019 by MetsFan5 (log)

[Kim Shook]

Temporary crown + Storck Riesen

Me:  "Is there something crunchy in these Riesens?"

Waiting for call back from my dentist.  

Sigh.🙄

[BeeZee]

I pulled a crown off couple of months ago eating red Swedish fish. It was loose, apparently. I have prominent tori (those bony parts which stick into the recessed area under the tongue) and although my dentist is a woman with fairly small hands, I often wind up swollen and bruised (visible on the outside) after having any crown repairs. I'm also resistant to Novicaine (as is my Dad) so I get a LOT of shots, which doesn't help the bruising issue. The only thing I eat after is yogurt, anything too liquid tends to dribble out of my mouth.

[MelissaH]

1 hour ago, BeeZee said:

I pulled a crown off couple of months ago eating red Swedish fish. It was loose, apparently. I have prominent tori (those bony parts which stick into the recessed area under the tongue) and although my dentist is a woman with fairly small hands, I often wind up swollen and bruised (visible on the outside) after having any crown repairs. I'm also resistant to Novicaine (as is my Dad) so I get a LOT of shots, which doesn't help the bruising issue. The only thing I eat after is yogurt, anything too liquid tends to dribble out of my mouth.

If yogurt works, one thing you might consider is getting something packaged in tubes, and throwing them in the freezer. That way you get the yogurt but also the cold. The two brands of yogurt in tubes that we like best are Stonyfield Farms and Siggi's.

[Kim Shook]

3 hours ago, BeeZee said:

I pulled a crown off couple of months ago eating red Swedish fish. It was loose, apparently. I have prominent tori (those bony parts which stick into the recessed area under the tongue) and although my dentist is a woman with fairly small hands, I often wind up swollen and bruised (visible on the outside) after having any crown repairs. I'm also resistant to Novicaine (as is my Dad) so I get a LOT of shots, which doesn't help the bruising issue. The only thing I eat after is yogurt, anything too liquid tends to dribble out of my mouth.

I am also someone difficult to numb - my dentist jokes that he goes to lunch after numbing me and I'm finally done when he gets back.  Takes forever to wear off, too.  I got lucky - when I called this morning my crown had come in and they had an opening on Wednesday.  I have the crown repair on one side and a couple of fillings on the other, so my entire mouth, lips, cheeks, etc. will be numb.  I hope no one needs to talk with me that entire day. 😁

[Katie Meadow]

I've had many crowns. Only one permanent one failed. I get whatever the common local anaesthetic is (I believe it is more often lidocaine now and not novocaine), like most of us do for the first part of the crown work and it takes me a while to get numb as well. But you might try to find out why there is swelling and bruising; that doesn't seem right.

 

As for those Swedish fish, well my dentist used to do a hilarious thing to remove the temporary crown. The patient bit down hard on one of those adorable confectionary jujubes, then snapped open his or her jaw. Worked like a charm. She doesn't do that any more, but I haven't asked why. Maybe the idea of using candy as a normal dental tool struck some people as weird.

[MetsFan5]

Oh dear. Today’s visit wasn’t too bad but I will need some type of gum surgery in the near future that will require sutures and a 10 DAY RECOVERY. Maybe I’ll lose a solid 10lbs? I’m thinking mashed potatoes and pudding. Softly scrambled eggs and chicken broth. For 10 (likely more I am a huge wimp) freaking days. 

[chromedome]

10 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

Oh dear. Today’s visit wasn’t too bad but I will need some type of gum surgery in the near future that will require sutures and a 10 DAY RECOVERY. Maybe I’ll lose a solid 10lbs? I’m thinking mashed potatoes and pudding. Softly scrambled eggs and chicken broth. For 10 (likely more I am a huge wimp) freaking days. 

Bummer. My condolences.

 

My mom's had a couple of those (getting a bone graft in her lower jaw, to support the new dentures, then having the implants put in once she'd healed) and they sucked rocks. She mostly survived on pudding and yogurt.

[robirdstx]

I went to my dentist today for a temporary crown. Due to the tooth being a lower six year molar, he had to use a nerve blocker to prevent any discomfort. He told me that I should not eat anything until the numbing wore off, but I could drink anything I wanted. I bought two bottles of wine on the way home!

[MetsFan5]

@robirdstx you’re a woman after my own heart! 

  My mouth is still sore. 🙄 I ate half a piece of pizza and a mozzarella stick. 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

11 minutes ago, MetsFan5 said:

@robirdstx you’re a woman after my own heart! 

  My mouth is still sore. 🙄 I ate half a piece of pizza and a mozzarella stick. 

We're not going to worry about YOU, tiger!   

[MetsFan5]

So I refused to have gum surgery with actual surgery. So it will be done with lasers on Monday. Part one of two. 
   I don’t anticipate it being horrific and I’m more concerned about the atheistic since we leave to go to my inlaws on Friday.
    I’ve been eating everything I know I won’t be able to like bagels and burgers. After Monday I’ll need to eat mush.  

[Katie Meadow]

Food for dental work: besides the usual suspects, like ice cream and fruit shakes and mashed potatoes, I like blended green soups. A good chicken broth, lots of spinach, leeks, sorrel, whatever, and a potato or two to thicken all blended up to make it slurpable or drinkable. For when you know you should be getting more fiber and vitamins.

[MetsFan5]

Yesterday’s surgery has me in a considerable amount of pain but I do have prescription painkillers. So far I was able to eat some eggplant parm (in vodka sauce to cut the acidity) and Italian ice and rice.  Hopefully each day brings considerable recovery because I’m traveling across the country Friday. 
 

@Shelby I hope you’re on the mend too! 

[Dave the Cook]

Five weeks into a dental-issue-induced liquid (or at least very-small-solids) diet, we're nearly out of ideas.  We've had to up our soup and food-styling games quite a bit, turning normally chunky soups into smooth purees without allowing them to look like pond scum. These are dinner soups, since that's our one shared meal of the day. Consequently, they incorporate a protein (usually an animal protein, as there are no tofu fans in the house), veg and usually a carb  Most often, breakfast is yogurt with mashed fruit, and lunch is soup left over from the previous night. Here's what we've had:

 

Creamy poblano soup

Shrimp bisque

Black bean soup

Leek and potato soup

Garlic soup with poached eggs, bacon and spinach

Curry shrimp and rice soup

Avgolemono

Corn soup with red-pepper puree

White bean soup with tomato and pesto

Broccoli-cheese soup

Sweet potato soup (kind of a jerk thing)

Creamy mushroom soup (using mushroom stock from Modernist Cuisine)

Smoked salmon chowder (adapted from Sara Moulton, unless it was Martha Stewart)

Mexican corn and rice soup

Cheesy onion soup with (the same) red pepper puree

Spinach-artichoke soup

Pinto bean soup

Carrot soup with chive oil

Beer cheese soup

 

Three problems have arisen. The first is that the texture of these soups doesn't vary much from one the the other.  Given the reason for making the soups in the first place, there's not much to be done about this. The second problem is that making soups (at least of this type) gets boring: simmer ingredients until soft, then blend with prejudice. Maybe stir in cream. Serve. The third is, as you will figure out when you count the recipes, that, even with some stretching, that's not quite three weeks' worth of soups, and we'got at least three more weeks of this diet to go.

 

Any ideas for expanding our repertoire? Soups we haven't tried, or other dishes with really small bits? Last night, for example, we had quiche, with very finely minced ham and long-simmered onions (the dog loved the non-mushable bits of crust).  Soups that don't cause the cooks that are making them to fall asleep? 

[BeeZee]

Can you eat something like Indian dal, mushy lentils? Palak paneer?

[mgaretz]

Over in the dinner thread I posted my soup to get me through my recent periodontal procedure.  It's lentil-carrot-oatmeal made in the instant pot:

 

1/2 pound of dried lentils, I like the brown ones

1 cup oatmeal (the oat meal is in here to create a complete protein with the lentils)

1 pound of carrots, sliced to about 3/8" thickness

32 ozs chicken stock

3 cups or so of water (may need to add more if the soup is too thick for you)

1 tsp soy sauce

1-2 tsp lemon juice

salt to taste

pepper, onion and garlic powder, bay leaf, all to taste, cumin if you want it more of an Indian bent

1 tbs olive oil to prevent foaming

 

Everything goes in the IP for 10 minutes, then natural release

 

Could be made on the stove top, leave out the oil in that case.  You could sub rice for the oatmeal but it's forbidden by my periodontist.

 

 

Today I made egg salad and will be having that with the soup.

 

 

 

[MokaPot]

Gazpacho (deseeded tomatoes) with bits of soft avocado.

[weinoo]

Cacik - I make it in the blender. Borscht - well cooked beets I make it in the blender with add in of sour cream or kefir or both.  Could always grate a beet and hold it back for texture. 

[heidih]

Luckily I have not had this issue but my over the top easy smooth and delicious is pumpkin from the can heated with spices of your choice and some dairy or coconut milk stirred in. Satisfying. Hang in there,

[Margaret Pilgrim]

16 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Cacik - I make it in the blender. Borscht - well cooked beets I make it in the blender with add in of sour cream or kefir or both.  Could always grate a beet and hold it back for texture. 

Is cacik the same as tzakziki?    ☺️

[Margaret Pilgrim]

We had a close friend who, as oral cancer survivor, couldn't handle food that needed to be chewed or that was difficult to swallow.   After exhausting the kinds of bowls that you have suggested, they hit upon "just blend it!"      Make a stew or pot roast or pasta or rice dish.    Just think flavor.    Serve as is to those who can enjoy it that way, and throw a hefty portion in the blender, perhaps with added appropriate liquid.    This feeds the entire family and provides new flavor profiles to the one with issues.  

[Dave the Cook]

5 hours ago, BeeZee said:

Can you eat something like Indian dal, mushy lentils? Palak paneer?

 

I can, and will, eat lentils. However, my partner, who is the one with dental issues, only likes them when prepared with short ribs, a la @Fat Guy. Paneer is tough to come by in our part of the suburbs, but we could make it, or sub queso fresco, or -- my suggestion --- potatoes, as what my partner really digs is the curried spinach, rather than the cheese. 

 

5 hours ago, mgaretz said:

It's lentil-carrot-oatmeal made in the instant pot:

 

If we can get past the lentil issue, then we have to pass the Oatmeal Rubicon (good band name, btw). But I think this is worth a try, actually.

 

5 hours ago, MokaPot said:

Gazpacho (deseeded tomatoes) with bits of soft avocado.

 

Deseeding is smart. We've actually gone back and forth on gazpacho. I don't like it; she does. My problem is that it's not really a meal, even with the avocado. Can I get a dispensation for a few seared (shredded for her) scallops on the side?

 

5 hours ago, weinoo said:

Borscht - well cooked beets I make it in the blender with add in of sour cream or kefir or both.  Could always grate a beet and hold it back for texture. 

 

There was a time when I hated beets, and this would have been a non-starter. But I've come around on them (sorry, @Toliver), so maybe.

 

5 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Is cacik the same as tzakziki?

 

I think they're pretty close. If we're right, it's an interesting thought for a garnish.

 

5 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Serve as is to those who can enjoy it that way, and throw a hefty portion in the blender, perhaps with added appropriate liquid.   

 

Maybe others can do this, but we can't. It's probably nutritious, and might be tasty in a way, but please see above (". . . turning normally chunky soups into smooth purees without allowing them to look like pond scum"). Six years ago, I spent two weeks in the hospital. For the first week, thanks to a "joke" I made that didn't land AT ALL, I was on a puree-only diet. The food was so unappealing that I lost fifteen pounds that week (which of course put everybody into a new tizzy). We're not going to do this, but thanks for the suggestion.

[MetsFan5]

What about chicken pot pie?