There is no physical limitation preventing you from drinking soda after removing your wisdom teeth, but the recommendation is to avoid soda, due to its potential to delay the healing process and cause harm to your teeth.
You can drink all the soda you want after the wisdom tooth extraction but it may be doing more harm than good. Is it really worth it?
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When can I start drinking soda again after wisdom teeth removal?
You can start drinking soda again 72 hours after removing your wisdom teeth because that is how long it takes for the wound to completely stop bleeding. The wound from the extraction site should have a fully formed blood clot between the 48-72 hour mark for the average person.
Our LIC dentists recommend that you wait for the full 72 hours just to be safe and ensure that the wound is no longer actively bleeding. If you are still experiencing a little bit of blood oozing, you may need to wait an additional day or two before you can drink.
So for the vast majority of people, it would be about 3 days before they can drink soda again but it could take up to a week for those who have delayed wound healing. Why someone may have delayed healing is if they have certain medical conditions.
Diabetes
Immuno compromised
What happens if I drink soda after wisdom teeth removal?
There are detrimental effects to drinking soda immediately after the procedure because the acidity from the soda can disrupt the blood clotting process and consequently delay wound healing. The soda won't cause a dry socket but it will disrupt the blood clot from forming, which leads to continued bleeding from the extraction socket.
Soda acidity will delay wound healing
Studies have shown that an acidic environment will impair the blood clotting process. Scientists measured the blood clotting efficacy at pH 7.4 vs pH 7.0 and found that there was a 25% increase in clotting time and a decrease in 25% clotting firmness just from the 0.4 difference in acidity. Therefore, even introducing a slight increase in acidity will impair the body's clotting efficacy.
If the body's ability to form a blood clot decreased by 25% from a 0.4 difference in acidity, imagine what a coca cola's pH level of 2.6 can do to your clotting. That means the coke's acidity difference of 4.8 will most likely be significantly detrimental to the clotting time and clotting firmness.
This means that if you drink soda while the wound is actively bleeding, you will continue to bleed for a longer period of time. So if you are wondering why you won't stop bleeding, it may be because you keep drinking soda!
This is why our long island city dentists tell you to not drink any soda until it stops bleeding. Going 3 days without your favorite carbonated beverage won't be the end of the world.
Soda sugar content will harm your teeth
Another reason to not drink soda after having the wisdom teeth out is because maintaining your oral hygiene routine after the procedure is more difficult due to the pain and discomfort.
This means that you're not brushing and flossing as well in the first few days after the procedure and if you're drinking a lot of sugary sodas, the chances for you to get a cavity will significantly increase. Drinking a lot of soda during the healing process may warrant additional dental visits once you've healed because you may need the cavities filled.
The risk for getting a cavity from drinking soda will return to normal once you can resume your normal brushing and flossing routine. This should take about 3 days so you may want to wait until then to have your carbonated beverage.
What drinks can I drink after wisdom teeth removal?
The best drinks to have after removing the wisdom teeth would be plain water because it is not acidic nor does it contain sugar. Both of which as mentioned above can either delay your healing or harm your teeth.
In fact, if you want to drink something with more flavor, you should have some chicken noodle soup. Its not acidic and it has plenty of nutrients to help you recover faster from the surgical procedure. Studies have shown that chicken noodle soup may have wonderous healing powers for your body when you're in need of some recovery.
Summary for what to do with soda after taking out your wisdom teeth:
Wait 3 days before drinking soda.
Acidity from soda can cause your wound to continue bleeding.
Sugar in soda can cause cavities during the healing process.
In lieu of having soda, you should drink plain water or chicken noodle soup.
Hopefully that helps but if you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office, one of our dentists in long island city would be more than happy to help you. In case you were wondering, these principles also apply to coffee because it is acidic as well but it is a bit better for you than soda or alcohol but please don't use a straw with any of the beverages!
