Liquid Diets | Oral Hygiene

Liquid Diets and Limited Opening Oral Hygiene

 

Liquid and Soft Diets

 

Liquid and soft diets are recommended in many situations, including some types of dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), surgery involving the mouth or gastrointestinal tract, and pain from newly adjusted braces.

 

Liquid diets contain no solid foods.

 

A Clear Liquid Diet consists of transparent liquids and no opaque liquids or smoothed solids. (e.g. meat or vegetable broth, bouillon, clear fruit juices, clear fruit ices, popsicles, clear gelatin desserts, clear carbonated drinks, hard candies, and black tea or coffee)

 

A Full Liquid Diet consists of smooth liquids that can contain tranparent and opaque liquids and blended liquid foods. It includes milk, milkshakes, ice cream, pudding, strained cream soups, fruit nectar with pulp, smooth cooked cereals such as oatmeal and cream of wheat, butter, and honey. In some cases, a full liquid diet may also include other foods that have been thinned and blended with liquids such as milk, meat or vegetable broth, or fruit or vegetable juice.Zip N Squeeze Pouch and Book

 

A Soft Diet includes foods that are solid but still soft and do not requiring crushing, cracking, or chewing. A soft diet includes all the Clear and Full Liquid Diets, plus rice, pasta, cooker cereals, mashed potatoes, tofu, yogurt, ground meats, soft fish, bananas, peaches, applesauce, soup, creamed or blended vegtables, and soft desserts.

 

Tips:

  • Eat frequently, 5-6+ times a day to get enough food. Plan midmorning, midafternoon, and evening snacks.
  • Use butter, sour cream, creamy peanut butter, ranch dressing, syrup, honey, refried bean, eggs, and tofu in blends and shakes to add calories, flavor, and protein to you diet.
  • Maintaining a liquid or soft diet for a long time can be very challenging. Consider obtaining a liquid diet cookbook to best make it through.
  • Prepare multiple and big batches and freeze them ahead of time.
  • Use Zip-N-Squeeze pouches for easy eating, drinking and storage. See more info here.
  • Supplement and meal replacement shakes are an easy way to get some food and energy.
  • Uses spices to keep things interesting.
  • Avoid bacon, popcorn, crunchy fried things, hard bread crusts, seeds, nuts, corn, apples, berries, chewy candies.

 

Limited Opening Oral Hygiene

 

Maintaining good oral hygiene with a severely limited opening from jaw-wiring or severe trismus, is a challenge and often one of the most disturbing problems. Always check with your surgeon or doctor on when you can begin using various rinses or brushing, as some things can dry out your mouth, open wounds, and cause infections if begun before your body is ready.

 

Some ways to keep you mouth clean:

  • Swishing or rinsing with:
    • Warm water
    • Salt water (2 tps in a small glass of water)
    • Hydrogen peroxide rinse (1 part hydrogen peroxide to 2 parts water)
    • Non-alcohol based mouthwashes
  • Use an oral syringe or ZNS bag to spray water between teeth and along the gums.
  • Q-Tips or cotton swabs along the gums and teeth
  • Children's toothbrushes (often fit into smaller openings)
  • WaterPik or Oral Water Jet (Only with permission of your doctor)
  • Pull out the cheek on the side that you plan to brush with a finger