Maxillofacial surgery includes repairing cleft palates, correcting jaw alignment, and extracting teeth. Each procedure has specific post-operative instructions. See the following pages for post-operative instructions:
- Cleft palate surgery with hip graft: Post-surgery diet, hygiene, and care instructions
- Orthognathic surgery: Guidelines for post-surgery wire care, health and nutrition
- Tooth extraction: Directions for changing gauze packs, help with pain management, and diet
Blenderized diet
After maxillofacial surgery, you may not be able to chew solid foods immediately. A solution to that is a blenderized diet. A blenderized diet has foods and liquids that have been thinned in a blender or food processor and strainer. These foods and liquids can be eaten using a cup, straw, syringe, or spoon.
Who uses a blenderized diet?
You may use this diet if you can not chew or swallow solid food, you have had jaw or face surgery, and if you have mouth pain.
What can I eat and drink while on a blenderized diet?
All liquids can be used to blenderize or thin foods. The best liquids to use are those that add flavor and have added vitamins and minerals. Some examples of good liquids are milk, fruit and vegetable juice. There are some foods that blend better than others do.
The following foods blend well:
Breads, cereals, rice and pasta
- Breads and crackers without nuts
- Cooked, enriched cereals such as grits, Farina, Malt-O-Meal, or Cream of Wheat
- Cooked rice, pasta or noodles
Fruits and vegetables
- Cooked or canned fruits without skins of seeds
- Cooked or canned vegetables without skins or seeds
Meat and meat substitutes
- Cooked, tender meat, fish and poultry
- Infant strained meats (baby foods)
- Cooked (boiled or poached) eggs. A poached egg is one that is cooked without a shell in boiling liquid.
- Cheese sauce
- Cottage cheese
- Cooked legumes such as split peas or split lentils without the hull (outer covering)
- Smooth peanut butter
Desserts
- Smooth custard and pudding
- Shakes
- Desserts such as ice cream, sherbet and plain gelatin may need to be melted before eating
Fats
- Melted butter or margarine and oil
- Cream cheese
- Salad dressing
- Smooth sauces or gravy
Other liquids and foods
- Milk beverages and smooth yogurt
- Tomato paste or sauce
- Blended, strained soup stock or cream soups
- Ground seasonings and spices, mustard, ketchup and other smooth condiments
What should I limit or avoid eating or drinking while on a blenderized diet?
The following foods do not blend well:
Breads, cereal, rice and pasta
- Whole-grain breads, cereals or crackers with nuts or seeds
- Fried rice or fried noodles
Fruits and vegetables
- Fresh fruits or vegetables
- Fruits or vegetables with seeds or tough skins, such as strawberries, raspberries, pineapples, watermelons, tomatoes, corn, and celery
Meat and meat substitutes
- Sausages and wieners or other meats with tough skins
- Poultry skin
- Fish with bones
- Fried meat and fried eggs
- Tough meat with a lot of gristle
- Nuts, seeds and crunchy peanut butter
- Cooked dried beans that do not have the hull (outer covering) removed
Desserts
- Baked goods that are made with nuts or seeds, coconut, chocolate and butterscotch
Other foods
- Milk or yogurt products with nuts or seeds
- Popcorn
- Relish
- Alcoholic beverages
What other diet guidelines should I follow?
- Cut foods into smaller pieces before placing them in the blender. After blenderizing, foods should be strained to remove chunks of food, seeds or fibers.
- Blend equal amounts of solid and liquid foods together. If you are blending fruits or vegetables, you can use less liquid.
- The right thickness and temperature of blended foods may be different for each person on this diet.
- Try to use blenderized foods right away so they will not spoil. Blenderized foods may be stored in the refrigerator for 48 hours or placed in the freezer.
- Eating small, frequent meals (six to eight meals per day)
- Eat a variety of foods from all the food groups to get a balanced diet
- Chunks of food in blenderized meals can lead to poor mouth care, cavities or choking
- Rinse out your mouth with water after each meal. This will help prevent infections or problems with your teeth.