We ran across this question early in the Tik Tok craze. My original thought was, “as long as you follow the directions to have an empty stomach for the amount of time we ask, I don’t really care what you drink.” As it turns out, we happened to notice more bleeding in those who tried this trick. Furthermore, everyone seemed to have a normal recovery (no less swelling and no more) compared to what we had seen in the past.

So what was the big deal?

Like many of the now famous challenges or memes, the right social media influencer posted something, and it snowballed!

Many fruits and vegetables contain anti-inflammatory compounds. The one in pineapple juice is called bromelain. The theory is that if you drink a lot of this before and after having wisdom teeth out, you won’t get swollen.

Truth of the matter?

There is no great evidence that it works, and may cause other issues. The amount of pineapple juice you would need to really drink to get a big dose of the anti-inflammatory enzyme could lead to an upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea (yuck, especially while recovering from surgery). And don’t forget, most commercial pineapple juices are full of sugar – which bacteria love! That makes for a potentially nasty combo. And yes, as mentioned before, it can increase bleeding.

Can we get a bottom line?

Honestly, as long as your stomach is empty for the recommended time before surgery, we know we can’t control what you eat or drink (but please follow the recommendations of your medical and dental team). Just understand that this trend may not be the miracle that social media wants you to believe. 🍍