Eating After Dental Implant Surgery
by Dr. Scott Bolding | Nov. 14, 2021
Eating after dental implants can be a challenge. What should you eat? What should you avoid? How long before you can eat the things you love?
Dental implant surgery is just like any other surgery. In order for your implants to be successful, your mouth needs to heal properly. It needs to rest. But your body still needs proper nutrition in order to help your body recover. That’s why knowing what to eat after dental implant surgery is an important part of the process.
Of course, once your mouth is fully healed you can eat whatever you want. That’s one of the best parts of getting dental implants. They function exactly like your natural teeth and you are free to eat your favorite foods again.
But for the first week or two after dental implant surgery, you will need to limit what you eat. What you eat after dental implants can impact the success of your surgery.
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Food to Avoid After Dental Implants
During recovery, the implant will be fusing to your jawbone. This process is crucial to the success of the procedure and ensures your implant lasts long term. Eating certain foods too early after dental implant surgery can interrupt this process, which can loosen and dislodge the implant. Other foods can cause pain or discomfort if you eat them immediately after surgery. Remember, if you want your implants to work they need to heal well. So, you will need to avoid certain foods after dental implant surgery.
Foods to avoid include:
- Chewy or crunchy foods
- Surgery or acidic foods
- Extremely hot food
Chewy or Crunchy Food
Eating chewy or crunchy food can be painful, especially, during the first 24-48 hours. If you chew too much too soon, you can dislodge the implant. Pieces of crunchy foods like chips or crackers can also get stuck in the ridges of your teeth, which can lead to infections.
Examples of chewy or crunchy foods to avoid include:
- Steak
- Uncooked veggies
- Chips
- Pretzels
Sugary and Acidic Food
Citric acid, which is found in a lot of sugary drinks and citrus fruits, wears on your enamel and can cause erosion. Eating too much sugar after dental implant surgery can lead to infection, because bacteria feeds on sugar. So, until your mouth heals, you should avoid:
- Soda
- Oranges and lemons
- Candy
Extremely Hot Food
The metal part of the implant is made of titanium, which retains heat very well. That means if you eat or drink something that is extremely hot, the implant will heat up. This will not only be painful, it can also make it hard for the implant to fuse to the jaw bone properly. You want to make sure that your implants are fully healed before eating extremely hot foods. If you choose to eat things like soup, make sure you give it enough time to cool down before you do.
What to Eat After Dental Implants?
In order to make sure you get the smile you want, your implants needs time to heal. Eating after dental implants should involve soft, healthy food. This helps your body get the nutrition it needs while still allowing your mouth to heal well.
24-48 Hours
Immediately after dental implant surgery, we recommend that you stick to a liquid diet. This is primarily for your comfort. Your mouth may be a bit sore and you may not feel like eating after dental implants. You can try things like:
- Soup
- Smoothies
- Protein shakes
The Days After
After a day or two your pain should start to go away, which makes it easier for you to start eating something other than soup. We still recommend eating softer food for several days to ensure your implants don’t come loose.
Focus on eating food that is high in protein and other nutrients. Eggs, chicken, and fish are high in protein. Avocados and nut butters have healthy fats. And of course, milk, cheese, and other dairy products give you a great dose of calcium, which is great for your teeth and bones.
Eating After Dental Implants
The Key to a Great Recovery
The biggest benefit to dental implants is that you can eat whatever you want. You can eat all of your favorite food again.
But before you can get back to normal, you need to make sure your implants heal properly. That’s why watching what you eat for the first few days after dental implant surgery is important. Eating soft, healthy food ensures your mouth heals properly and is the key to a good recovery.