If you’re ready to replace your missing teeth with dental implants in Arnold, the first step to completing your smile is oral surgery. It’s necessary to insert titanium posts into your jawbone to serve as new roots. You can expect there to be some discomfort while you heal, which means you’ll need to change your diet for a few days. Here are the foods you’ll want to avoid to protect your new smile from any complications.
Foods to Avoid After Dental Implant Surgery
Besides your oral hygiene habits, your diet is crucial to ensuring your dental implants heal correctly. You want to maintain a balanced diet that doesn’t include anything hot or spicey, which can irritate the surgical sites. You’ll also want to skip foods that are chewy or hard because they can require a lot of chewing that might be painful. Although oatmeal might seem like an ideal meal because it doesn’t require you to chew, the oats can irritate the healing tissue, so it’s better to drink a smoothie instead.
Your implant dentist in Arnold will recommend you avoid consuming any alcohol because it can delay the healing process. Not to mention, alcohol can increase swelling and pain. Overall, you’ll want to stick to a soft diet for a few days to give your mouth time to heal.
Foods to Eat After Dental Implant Surgery
You may feel limited in your nutritional options after your initial surgery, but there are still plenty of great soft foods to eat, like applesauce because it is high in vitamin C and dietary fiber. Broth-based soups can be a filling meal while also providing you with protein; however, make sure they aren’t too hot.
Enjoying Your New Smile
In just a few more weeks, you’ll have a complete smile that closely feels natural. You’ll regain as much as 70% of your natural biting force to enjoy many of your favorite foods, but you’ll still want to avoid anything sticky, hard, or requires a lot of chewing. Cutting your food into smaller pieces will also make it easier to chew to lessen the likeliness of damaging your restorations.
Besides maintaining a healthy diet, your dental implants also rely on your oral hygiene habits to last for many years. It’s best to brush your teeth after every meal and take the time to floss at least once a day. Add an antimicrobial mouthrinse to your daily routine to neutralize any bacteria left behind by your toothbrush and floss.
Don’t forget to visit your dentist at least twice a year for a cleaning and checkup. Until then, if you have any questions about the foods you can eat with your dental implants, don’t hesitate to contact your dentist.
About Dr. Jonathan Mears
Dr. Mears earned his dental degree at the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine and has undergone advanced training in many specialties, including dental implants. He can treat your tooth loss using predictable and reliable solutions. Contact our office to see if dental implants are right for you.