Dental implants offer an effective, permanent solution to missing or damaged teeth. Just like your natural teeth, dental implants are both durable and long-lasting. In fact, with routine dental care, they’ll last a lifetime, because they’re directly fused to your jawbone.
Implants work by replacing your tooth root as well as your external tooth, and they offer additional benefits to your dental health besides tooth replacement, strengthening your jawbone and the bone surrounding it.
If you’re already considering implants, you may be thinking about what your experience will look like following implant surgery, including what you can eat. Before looking at those options, let’s take a look at some specifics about implants themselves.
Are All Implants Alike?
Different implant types serve a particular purpose, whether it is to replace just one missing tooth or many. But, whatever the type of implant you’re considering, all implants have three separate elements, including:
- Artificial tooth root, the base for the artificial replacement tooth
- The abutment, a metal frame attached to that root holding the artificial tooth
- The artificial tooth to replace missing teeth
- Single Tooth
- Implant Supported Bridges
- Implant Supported Dentures
- All-on-Four Implants
- Mini-Dental Implants
What Happens After I Get an Implant?
After you receive an implant, your dental team will likely recommend some over-the-counter analgesic medication, and provide guidelines for healing, including oral hygiene. And they will also provide guidelines to follow about the best foods and beverages to consume, and what to avoid following your procedure.
Eating After a Dental Implant
After dental implant surgery, you should stick to soft and liquid food that doesn’t necessitate a great deal of chewing for the first day after your procedure.
Among the most commonly recommended foods are:
- Smoothies
- Yogurt and ice cream
- Pudding
- Applesauce
- Mashed Potatoes
- Creamy soups and broth
One of the reasons for eating this soft and liquid diet is to avoid biting your cheek or gums due to the numbing agents placed around the implant site during your surgery.
After that first day, for the next week, you can add many more foods to your diet, but continue to keep things soft. Try some choices such as:
- Mac n’ cheese
- Soft bread
- Cooked vegetables
- Scrambled Eggs
- Soft pasta
Then, after a week or two, you can add regular foods back into your diet such as raw veggies or meat. However, try to avoid chewing on the side of your mouth with the implant for a minimum of two weeks.
Other Healing Tips
- Even though you’ll be eating a soft diet at first, don’t skip meals, make sure you get the best nutrition for healing
- Drink water to stay hydrated
- Avoid physical exertion for 2 to 3 days following surgery
- Don’t smoke or use tobacco products while you are healing from surgery
- Don’t forget your dental hygiene - 24 hours after your procedure, rinse your mouth with salt water after each meal, at bedtime and upon waking. Follow your dental professional’s recommendation for when you can safely begin your regular brushing and flossing, avoiding the surgical site directly.
Are You Ready to Learn More about Implants?
Implants are permanent, attractive, and fully functional, which makes them an excellent choice to replace any missing or damaged teeth. If you want to learn more about implants, or to schedule an appointment for a consultation, we’re ready to help. Just reach out to us today.