What cant you eat with a dental implant?

Even though you won’t be able to chew very hard food after dental implant surgery, getting the right nutrition is a vital part of your healing and recovery process. A dentist that offers free consultation will be able to give you some ideas on what to eat during your recovery. To get you started and help with planning, we have put a list together of foods to avoid after a dental implant in this article.

Foods You Can Eat After Dental Implant Surgery

During the first 24 to 48 hours after your dental implant surgery, your gums will feel tender. You might not feel like eating but it’s important to keep yourself well hydrated and ensure you are taking in the right nutrients that support healing.

A good rule of thumb is to stick to a cool, liquid diet for the first day or two. Smoothies are an excellent source of nutrients and they are delicious to drink cold. Add protein and rice powder to get your macronutrients in, and your choice of raw vegetables or fruits for added fibre.

What To Avoid After Dental Implants?

On the first two days after your dental implants, you must avoid hot food and drinks. Do not drink from a bottle that causes suction or a straw, as this can cause the blood clot on your implant site to dislodge. Avoid alcohol and smoking for a few days after dental implants.

These are the foods to avoid for at least ten days after your dental implants:

Crunchy hard foods

Hard and crunchy foods like nuts, seeds, taco shells, and crisps can break up and get stuck in your implant site.

Sticky food

Sticky foods like caramel and toffee apples should be avoided, as they can get stuck at your implant site and cause damage.

Highly acidic foods

Acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits can worsen discomfort at your implant site.

Hot, spicy food

Spicy and hot food like chilis and soups must be avoided during your recovery period. Spicy food can irritate the implant site while hot meals can interfere with healing around your soft tissue.

If you get a free consultation at your local dental clinic, you will be given a list of foods to avoid after dental implant surgery.

Foods You Can Eat After Dental Implants

Even after the first ten days have passed, you need to be careful with the texture and hardness of the food you eat. You can increase the texture of food as you heal and your gums feel more comfortable.

Eggs are an excellent source of nutrition, are soft to eat, and can be prepared in different ways. Baked potatoes topped with soft cheese or avocado are tasty and wholesome. Once the first week has passed you can start reintroducing meat to your diet. Soft or minced meat and fish can minimise chewing and irritation, while pasta and rice that is well cooked requires minimal chewing.

For help with foods to avoid after getting your implant or for a free dental consultation near you, please give us a call: (02) 4210 9078.

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References

Dental implant surgery
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/dental-implant-surgery/about/pac-20384622 

Dental implant procedure
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dental-implant

Posted on: January 4, 2022

2 minute read

Dental implants are considered the closest thing to real teeth that one can have. Replacing missing teeth with dental implants can make it easier to speak, eat a nutritional diet and can help you maintain jaw structure and facial appearance.

Before dental implant surgery goes ahead, it’s not uncommon for patients to require a bit of preparation to give treatment the best chance of success. This may include changing your diet, quitting smoking or bringing gums back to health after experiencing gum disease. Knowing what to eat after dental implant surgery is just as important as it helps facilitate recovery and can help you keep your implants, bridge or denture healthy for as long as possible.

Long-term success of any dental or medical treatment can largely depend on what you do during the recovery phase, and while dental implant surgery is a minimally invasive procedure, paying careful attention to diet, rest and hydration will help ensure faster healing. Eating the proper foods gives your body the nutrients it needs to reduce inflammation and promote the bone production that is essential for a successful implant. (1)

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Vitamin C for Faster Healing

Many vitamins and nutrients can help to speed up the healing process, but Vitamin C stands out as particularly effective. (2,3) Several studies show that taking vitamin C supplements during the healing phase of surgical procedures is a safe, effective and convenient way to help you recover quicker. Vitamin C may also help to reduce post-operative complications.

Nutrition Immediately After Dental Implant Surgery

It’s important to follow a nutritional diet immediately after surgery as your mouth begins to heal. During the first two days when gums are tender, maintaining a liquid diet can help protect the surgical site and provide healing nutrition. These liquids need to provide the protein, carbohydrate, and fat essential to health and healing.

The First Two Days After Surgery

For the first two days after dental implant surgery, your gum heals and swelling goes down. It’s important to avoid consuming hot foods and beverages during this time. Do not drink through a straw during this time, and if you had a bone graft or sinus lift, it’s recommended you avoid using a straw for at least one month. During this time, an all-liquid diet is the safest option. Try and avoid anything too chunky:

  • Meal replacement drinks
  • Protein drinks
  • Fruit and veg smoothies
  • Yoghurts
  • Soups and broths

The Weeks Following Implant Surgery

After the first two days, you can introduce soft foods that don’t require chewing such as soup, mashed bananas, mousse, cottage cheese and yogurt. As your gums heal, you can begin eating more solid nutritious foods such as:

  • Eggs
  • Porridge
  • Muffins (no nuts)
  • Roasted fish and chicken
  • Leafy greens
  • Pasta
  • Beans
  • Tofu

Foods to Avoid Following Dental Implant Surgery

You will need to avoid eating hard, tough, sticky, or crunchy foods that might put too much pressure on your new teeth and implants. It takes between three to six months for implants to integrate with the jaw and after this time, you’ll be able to confidently resume a regular diet, but until this time, we advise you avoid these foods and drinks:

  • Drinks high in sugar, such as soft drinks and juices
  • Sugary or sticky confectionery
  • Crunchy foods such as nuts, chips and crackers
  • Spicy and acidic foods such as curries, salsa and citrus fruits
  • Extremely hot foods and drinks

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Why is protein so necessary for healing?

Protein is essential to collagen formation, which helps rebuild and repair bone and gum tissue after implant surgery. Protein also plays a role in the formation of antibodies that fight infection.

  1. What if I do not feel like eating?

It is normal not to have much of an appetite after surgery. However, failing to consume nutritious foods and beverages regularly can slow healing and lead to more frequent complications.

  1. What vitamins and minerals can help accelerate healing after implant surgery?

In addition to Vitamin C, other micronutrients aid in healing. These include:

  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin D
  • Calcium
  • Zinc
  • Copper
  1. How can I add protein to a soft-food diet?

During your initial recovery, you can boost your protein intake by adding foods such as almond or peanut butter, avocado, yogurt, or protein powder to your smoothies. Once you begin eating soft foods, you can eat foods high in protein, such as:

  • Eggs
  • Beans
  • Tofu

Got questions about your surgery recovery? Call (08) 9495 7999 or send an enquiry to our Kelmscott clinic or call (08) 9470 3944 or email our East Vic Park clinic.

References

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3681034/
  2. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20040708/supplement-speeds-wound-healing
  3. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cid.12647

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Can I eat normally with dental implants?

As we have mentioned, one of the best benefits of dental implants is the fact that you will be able to eat normally once your dental implants have healed and your final set of prosthetic teeth have been placed. You will have no dietary restrictions, and you will be able to eat anything you want without fear or anxiety!

How long after a dental implant can I eat normal food?

Typically, it takes about one week for patients to return to regular eating habits after dental implant surgery. But if you are a fast healer, you may be able to return to some solid (but not firm or crunchy) foods 24 – 48 hours after surgery.

What can you not do after dental implants?

For the first 24 hours after dental implants, be sure to avoid overly hot or cold food and drinks and avoid drinking from a straw. Most importantly, only eat soft foods for the first 24 hours after having the dental implants procedure.

What foods can you eat with dental implants?

The Best Foods To Eat After Your Dental Implant Surgery Immediately after surgery, we recommend eating smoothies, yogurt, ice cream, pudding, applesauce, mashed potatoes, creamy soups and broth, and other such soft/liquid foods.