Dental implants can keep your jawbone from deteriorating, improve your health, and act as an excellent replacement for your natural teeth. Many clients undergo dental implant surgery with the utmost confidence in its ability to do them good.
However, despite being a minimally invasive procedure, getting dental implants with a specialist still requires you to undergo a recovery period of roughly 10-12 weeks. In order to guarantee that the process goes well, it’s important that you continue meeting your nutritional needs; eating the wrong food items may cause complications and delay your healing.
Make sure you eat properly. Here are the food items you should and shouldn’t eat before and during this period:
Avoid
While going on a liquid diet is often recommended, you should steer clear of hot food and liquids. They can cause further swelling and bleeding — lengthening your recovery time. Furthermore, stay away from hard-to-chew food or ones that require you to bite into or chew them. These include pretzels, nuts, hard fruits (like apples), and more. Doing so puts too much pressure on your still-fusing implants and disrupts the healing process.
On a similar note, here are other food items that can damage the implants or delay your still healing surgery wound:
- Sticky candy and taffy
- Acidic foods like citrus fruits
- Peppers and spicy salsa
Keep in mind that chips, popcorn, and other items that have loose pieces may get stuck in your gums. Avoid any complication they might lead to, like infections, and wait until your jawbone and implants have fully fused, and your gum line sealed.
Suggestions
The key to a smoother recovery is to look for easy-to-chew alternatives. For example, snack on softer fruits, such as bananas, peaches, and all kinds of berries. You can also mix these in softer cereals, grits, or oatmeal for breakfast. Other alternatives include bread, pound cake, and porridge.
It’s best to drink lots of liquids before the procedure and during your recovery, too. Water assists your body in flushing away any remaining toxins from the anesthesia. It also helps your immune system regain its strength and, as a result, reduces the possibility of developing infections.
You can also add variety to your meals by:
- Incorporating (mild) sauces and soups to help keep your diet flavorful and filling
- Cutting or chopping up all your vegetables into smaller pieces before eating
- Adding steamed or cooked carrots, squash, and broccoli to your meal
- Including some safe proteins, like eggs, beans, baked or broiled fish, seafood, and dairy products. Stewed chicken and ground beef should be finely chopped for easy consumption
Consult a Doctor of Dental Surgery
It’s crucial to maintain a healthy and balanced diet throughout your recovery period. For the best results, keep it simple and consume only soft food and liquids. However, take note that not everyone has the same eating habits. Clients who have special dietary restrictions and concerns may need to double-check with their doctor beforehand.
Need further guidance or restoration on your dental implants? Schedule an appointment with us today!