What Foods Can You Eat After Getting Dental Implants?
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. Food consumed during healing should still be easy to chew. While you may be looking forward to eating normally again, there are some foods to avoid after getting dental implants in Woodland Hills, Ca, for ex. Crunchy and hard foods, such as potato chips, taco shells, hard candies, seeds, and nuts.The restrictive diet won’t be forever, though, but paying attention to it during your healing period will help ensure the success of your implants.
Other Tips For Healing After Implant Placement
Want to make sure you heal quickly after your implant? Healing times vary from person to person, but here are some general guidelines that can help you recover more quickly.
1.Eat Soft, Nutritious Food
After having dental implant surgery, many people wonder what they are allowed to eat. In the first 48 hours after surgery, it is recommended to avoid hot or spicy foods, since they can cause bleeding and/or irritate the surgical site. After that, the general rule of thumb is to only eat soft foods. In the days immediately following surgery, you will want to focus on eating foods that require almost no chewing, since jaw movement can cause irritation to the surgical site. As the incision heals, you can gradually progress to minimal chewing, however be sure to follow your dentist’s instructions on what to eat.
2.Take care of your mouth
Starting 24 hours after your surgery, rinse your mouth with salt water in the morning, after each meal, and before bed. You can also start brushing, but don’t brush the surgical site directly until Dr. Barker says you can do so at your follow-up appointment.
3.Don’t skip meals
Especially during the first few days when you may feel a lot of pain or be nauseous, you may want to skip meals. But proper nutrition is essential for keeping you healthy and strong, so do your best to eat consistently and get enough food each day.
4.Use Ice Packs
Although swelling after dental implant surgery is usually minimal, some people will experience more swelling than others. Using an ice pack is an easy and effective way to decrease swelling and provide pain relief. To prevent damaging your skin, you should wrap the ice pack in a towel before applying it to your face. You should also only use ice for about 20 minutes, then remove it for 20 minutes before starting again. Leaving ice packs on too long or not wrapping them in a towel can result in an ice burn.
5.Don’t exercise for a few days
For at least 2-3 days, we recommend avoiding exercise, or heavy exertion in general, like moving heavy boxes or furniture. This will help minimize bleeding and discomfort.
Why no dairy after dental implants?
The aftercare of dental implants is crucial for their longevity and to avoid post-surgery complications. Your diet matters a lot, particularly if you recently got implants. Along with the instructions of avoiding hard and chewy foods, dentists also advise against having foods that may irritate the gums. The gums surrounding the implant can be irritated by spicy foods and dairy foods.
The other reason why dentists advise against having dairy foods is their tendency of causing nausea and vomiting. If a patient vomits after or during the surgery, the implant site is exposed to stomach acid, making it vulnerable to various infections.
Examples of dairy food to avoid
- Cow’s milk
- Yoghurt
- Cheese
