6 Foods to Eat and Foods to Avoid After Getting Dental Implants

Getting dental implants in Harriston, ON, is an excellent idea since living with missing teeth is no fun. You will have to deal with chewing difficulties, enunciation problems, bone loss, loss of facial integrity, and much more. Let’s not even talk about poor dental aesthetics.

Thank goodness there are tooth implants that can replace the entire tooth. Even though nothing beats having your natural teeth but dental implants come close.

But for them to serve you for life, you will have to treat them well, or else they will not give you the expected results. That’s why our dentists in Harriston, ON, came up with some nuggets of wisdom that will help you understand the foods that you can eat and not eat post-surgery phase.

6 Foods to Eat After Getting Dental Implants

Your jaw and gums will be delicate after our dentist places the implants. Therefore, you will need to be cautious for several days or weeks after your surgery. Some of the foods that you can indulge in that can promote healing and that will not cause any issues are:

1. Cold soups – Cold soups such as gazpacho are an excellent way to go since you need to avoid hot liquids because they irritate the gums, especially at the surgery site
2. Apples are crunchy, so you will need to avoid them. However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot enjoy them. You can make applesauce and enjoy it since it is packed with nutrients that your body will appreciate
3. Smoothies are also amazing since they are packed with nutrients, are filling, and you don’t need to chew them. In certain ways, smoothies can be complete meals
4. Dairy such as milk and yogurt are essential in the healing process since they have proteins that help in repairing damaged body tissue ad calcium to fortify the bones

As your jawbone and gums keep healing, you can slowly begin to introduce some solid foods such as:

5. Pasta, soft bread, and rice are excellent sources of energy and are soft enough for your healing implants to handle
6. Ground beef, chicken, and fish are nutritious and soft enough not to harm the healing gums

6 Foods to Avoid After Getting a Dental Implant

Once you have a new set of pearly whites, you might be tempted to revert to your old habits. It is also possible that you might be famished and need to eat. However, your hunger and cravings can deter you from healing properly. After our dentist places the implants, your jawbone and gums will need time to heal.

Therefore, you must do your part to enable and promote fast healing. That means that you will need to adhere to our dentist’s instructions. So, these are the foods that you need to avoid after getting dental implants near you:

1. Spicy foods. Indulging ins spicy foods such as chill peppers or salsa can cause inflammation and pain or even discomfort, making the healing process unbearable
2. Crunchy foods. Eating crunchy foods such as popcorns, nuts, chips, etc., can get lodged between your teeth and the gums and increase pain and inflammation. They are also difficult to chew, which means that they can deter the healing process
3. Acidic foods. These foods can cause a burning sensation in your healing gums. So it is best to avoid foods high in acidic content, such as tomatoes, oranges, etc.
4. Sticky and chewy foods. Gummy bears, taffy, caramel, etc., are not your friends since they have a knack for sticking in between teeth, which will not be good for your healing gums
5. Tough foods. Don’t go for raw vegetables or steak and any other tough foods since they require a lot of chewing, which can cause pain and impede healing
6. Hot foods and drinks. Be it soups or drinks, avoid anything very hot since the temperature of these foods can hurt your gums, prolonging the healing process

You need to remember that what you eat is only part of the aftercare. You will also need to check out other habits that may contribute to the healing process. The good thing is that you will not journey alone; we will be here to help you.

Therefore, contact us at Harriston Family Dentistry to get the help you need.