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Children’s DentistDental implants are becoming a more common procedure for people who are missing teeth. If you’re scheduled to have dental implants placed, it’s important to understand what you can and cannot eat during the recovery process.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the recommended foods to eat during implant recovery. Eating the right kinds of food can help promote healing and keep your mouth healthy. So, what foods are these? Keep reading to find out!
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What Should You Eat After Getting Dental Implants?
After dental implant surgery, eating food that will help with healing is important. Some food recommendations include:
- Soft food:
A soft food diet consists of foods that are easy to chew and won’t irritate the surgical site. Good options include soup, mashed potatoes, soft bread, cooked vegetables, bananas, pudding, and soft-cooked vegetables. - Foods rich in vitamin C:
This helps promote healing and can be found in foods such as oranges, avocados, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. - Protein:
Protein is essential for healing, so include meats, poultry, scrambled eggs, fish, tofu, beans, and lentils in your diet. - Water:
It is important to stay hydrated after surgery, so drink plenty of water throughout the day.
Following these food recommendations will help your surgical site heal properly.
How Soon Can You Eat After Dental Implant Surgery?
Many patients wonder how soon they can return to normal eating habits after dental implant surgery. The answer depends on how well the healing process goes.
In most cases, patients can expect to stick to a soft food diet for the first few weeks.This allows the surgical site to heal properly and prevent damage that can complicate healing. After that, patients can slowly introduce hard foods into their diet.
However, it’s important to be careful not to put too much strain on the implants. Eating hard or sticky foods can damage the implants and cause problems with the healing process. Therefore, waiting until your dentist gives you the green light is highly recommended before returning to your normal diet.
What Type of Food Should You Avoid While Recovering from Surgery?
Many people don’t realise that the food you eat plays a big role in the healing process after dental surgery. Nutrition affects healing, so it’s important to follow a dental implant recovery diet in the days and weeks following your procedure.
While everyone’s recovery timeline is different, there are some general guidelines you can follow.
In the first few days after surgery, it’s important to stick to soft foods that are easy to chew and swallow. Think soup, yogurt, eggs, mashed potatoes, and cooked vegetables.
You should also avoid sticky and crunchy foods and those that are hard to chew. This includes:
- Popcorn
- Chips
- Nuts
- Raw veggies
- Hard candy
- Seeds
- Ice
- Pretzels
- Bagels
- Chewing gum
- Fruits with pits or seeds
- Steak
As you start to feel better, you can slowly add other items back into your diet. But be sure Remember to avoid anything that could cause irritation or infection at the implant site.
This means steering clear of hot foods and drinks, spicy foods, alcohol, and tobacco products. Acidic foods should also be avoided. Following these dietary guidelines can help achieve a smooth dental implant recovery.
Why Should You Avoid Dairy After Dental Implant Surgery
Initially, after dental implant surgery, it’s important to stick to a dental implant recovery diet of soft food and liquids to allow your mouth to heal properly. As part of this process, you’ll want to avoid dairy as much as possible.
Dairy products can cause inflammation and increase the risk of infection, both of which can hamper the healing process. In addition, dairy products are often high in sugar, leading to an increased risk of tooth decay.
While you may be tempted to indulge in a bowl of ice cream, some cheese, or a tall glass of milk, it’s recommended to avoid dairy during the dental implant healing process. Once your mouth has fully healed, you can go back to your regular diet.
However, limiting sugary foods and beverages is still important to help keep your dental implants and natural teeth healthy and strong.
Final Thoughts
Dental implant surgery is a common procedure with a high success rate. Recovery is usually quick; most people return to normal activities within a week. However, following the recommended dental implant recovery diet is important for proper healing.
It is recommended that a soft food diet be followed for at least the first week after implant surgery. This will help the surgical site heal and minimise any potential complications. After the first week, you can slowly add solid foods to your diet.
If you need dental implants, book an appointment with Karrinyup Dental Centre. Our team of experienced professionals will work with you to help you have a quick and successful recovery. Have any questions? Give us a call today.
Frequently Asked Questions
As with any surgery, there are risks involved with dental implant surgery. The most common risks include:
- Infection:
This is the most serious complication that can occur after dental implant surgery. Although the risks are low, an infection can lead to serious health complications. These include bone loss and the spread of infection to other parts of the body. To reduce the risk of infection, it is important to carefully follow all post-operative instructions, such as taking antibiotics and maintaining good oral hygiene. - Damage to surrounding teeth and soft tissues:
Dental implants are placed through a surgical procedure. There are times where the surrounding teeth and soft tissues can be damaged during the process. However, this risk can be minimised by having a skilled dentist perform your surgery. - Failure to fuse:
There is a chance that the dental implants will not fuse properly with the bone in your jaw. This is known as implant failure, which can occur for various reasons, including poor placement of the implants or inadequate bone density. If your implants do not fuse properly, they will need to be removed and replaced. - Nerve Damage:
One of the risks associated with dental implants is nerve damage. If the implant placement is too close to the nerves in your jaw, it can result in nerve damage. This can cause numbness, tingling, or pain in your jaw, teeth, gums, or lips.
There are many benefits to choosing dental implants, including:
- Dental implants look and feel like your own real teeth.
- Because they fuse with the bone, they promote its growth. This helps maintain your facial structure.
- With proper care, they can last a lifetime.
- They don’t require reducing other teeth, as do bridges. More of your natural tooth structure is preserved.
- Implants provide a secure and stable foundation for replacement teeth.
- They provide support for dental bridges and complete dentures.
- Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth compared to fixed dental bridges.
- Implants don’t get decay like natural teeth.
- The success rate of dental implants is high.
The short answer to how long dental implant surgery recovery takes is anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. But several factors can affect how quickly you heal and how long it takes for your gums and bones to fuse around the implant. These include:
- The type of dental implants you get
- How many implants you’re getting
- Your age
- Your overall health
- Whether or not you smoke
- How well you take care of your mouth during the healing process
All of these factors can contribute to a longer or shorter recovery time. In general, you can expect the healing process to take at least a few weeks and possibly up to a few months.
Once your implants are fully healed, you’ll be able to enjoy all the benefits that come with them – like eating all your favourite foods again!
Dental implants are a long-term investment since they can potentially last a lifetime with proper care. The cost of dental implant surgery is affected by several factors, including:
- The number of implants needed
- The type of implants used
- The complexity of the surgery
- The experience of the dentist
- The need for additional procedures such as bone augmentation procedure (bone graft) or sinus elevation (sinus lift)
In general, dental implants cost between $3,000 and $6,000. However, the cost may be higher or lower depending on the specific case. Many insurance plans do not cover dental implant surgery, so it is important to check with your insurer before scheduling an appointment.
