Avoid These Foods And Preserve Your Dental Implants
Dental implants can make your smile so much more attractive. While you can also go with dentures, an implant is the most long-lasting and natural-looking solution to a missing tooth. If you want to avoid problems after your implant is done, you will be careful what you eat and what you do to care for them, particularly at first. Read on to find out more.
After the Surgery
You will undoubtedly have a slightly sore mouth right after the surgery. However, it's also likely that you will be hungry. Often, dental implant patients are warned about eating and drinking for several hours before the surgery. In most cases, that is because of the use of anesthesia and the danger of choking if you get sick. However, at the same time, you must make careful choices when it comes to eating.
Stock up on soft foods that are easy on your implants before your surgery. Your dentist will probably suggest liquids and semi-solid foods like:
- Smoothies
- Protein drinks
- Soup
- Mashed potatoes
- Jell-O and pudding
- Juices
Usually, you can graduate to more solid foods in a few days if you are not in any pain. Add some ground beef or fish items to the above list along with baked potatoes and ice cream. Be wary of foods that are frozen or hot in the first few weeks. They might be too much of a shock for your tender gums. Drinking plenty of water will help you recover from the surgery as well. Many patients are dehydrated after surgery.
What Foods to Avoid
- Hot and spicy foods can irritate your gums. Wait for a few weeks before scooping up the salsa.
- Sticky foods can stick to places that could be harmful to your implant (and the rest of your teeth). Dentists discourage their patients from eating things like taffy, caramel candy, gummies, dried fruit, and other sticky foods after they have implant surgery and at any time.
- Avoid acidic foods like soft drinks/sodas. They can etch your tooth enamel.
- Hard foods like nuts, hard candy, popcorn, tortilla chips, and ice should be avoided. If you can avoid eating hard foods at all you will be doing your teeth a big favor. Hard foods can weaken your enamel, chip teeth, and loosen fillings.
- Avoid smoking and indulging in alcohol.
- Use a manual toothbrush after implant surgery. You can begin using our electric brush after a few days, however.
Call your doctor if you develop any swelling or pain once the initial discomfort has receded. For more information about dental implants, contact a local dentist.