Learning to live with dental implants will come easily after a short adjustment period. Although not as severe as traditional dentures, having a new prosthetic taking the place of your natural teeth will take some time to get used to. Fortunately, these tooth replacements feel and act so much like regular teeth, you’ll be accustomed to your new smile in no time at all. But what about eating? Are there foods to avoid? Find out which foods to eat after dental implant surgery and start enjoying everything your new smile has to offer.
Safe Foods to Eat
Immediately after receiving your dental implants, it’s likely you’ll need to wait before attempting to consume food of any kind. The reason is that is you’ll be a bit sore, but after a few hours, you can begin to enjoy soft foods and liquids. This will be necessary in order to take in valuable nutrients your body needs to heal.
Some examples of foods you can eat after receiving dental implant surgery include:
- Yogurt or Applesauce
- Scrambled Eggs
- Cheese
- Oatmeal
- Soft Bread
The good news is that after two weeks, you should be able to start incorporating other types of foods; however, because you might still be sore or experiencing some discomfort, it is strongly advised that you avoid hard, crunchy, or chewy foods, as they can increase pain.
Risk of Not Following Food/Diet Protocols
Although it’s hard staying away from the foods you love most, it’s imperative that you stick to a soft food diet while healing from dental implant surgery. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying all the foods you love so much, but until that time, it’s best to stick to the doctor’s orders, and that means, avoiding certain foods. The reasons are:
- Foods that are hard will increase the pain and can potentially cause your surgical sites to bleed.
- Drinking through a straw can cause you to dislodge the blood clots and lead to a dry socket, which can result in serious pain.
The recovery time for every patient is different, and depending on how many implants were placed, this may increase the amount of time you need to heal. No matter how long, believe that it is worth it, as you will soon enjoy the longer-lasting, beautiful, and fully functional smile of your dreams.
About the Author
Dr. Mark Gray is a highly-trained and skilled dentist based in Memorial, TX. He graduated from the University of Texas Dental School in Memorial. Dr. Gray and his team offer advanced technology to keep your smile shining bright. Your smile is important to us, which is why we want you to feel comfortable and ease during your appointment. If you are a patient who has missing teeth and is pursuing dental implants, Dr. Gray will make sure you have all the information you need before, during, and after your dental implant procedure to move forward with your new and improved smile. To find out more about what to expect with dental implants, visit our website or call (281) 493-9395.