Once they’re fully healed and integrated with your jawbone, dental implants give you the chewing strength to enjoy all your favorite foods. However, it’s crucial to avoid certain foods for the first few weeks after they’re placed if you want your treatment to succeed.
Explore our guide to learn some helpful tips for your post-surgery diet.
To prevent damaging your implant and setting your treatment back, avoid the following foods for at least a week after implant surgery:
After your implant is placed, your teeth and jaw will be in a very delicate state. That’s why it’s crucial to stick to a soft-food diet for the first 24 hours after surgery. To help you plan your meals, Dr. Grubb recommends incorporating the following foods:
When you’re drinking liquids, it’s extremely important to avoid using a straw. The suction force puts pressure on your implant and can interfere with the healing process. You should also refrain from drinking alcohol or smoking for at least a few days.
As your jaw continues to heal, you can slowly reintroduce solid foods into your diet. Dr. Grubb recommends choosing meals that are rich in protein and other essential nutrients to speed up your recovery.
Some of the foods he recommends are:
If you have any amount of missing teeth, Dr. Grubb can restore your smile with dental implants. Call our office in Havre de Grace at (410) 939-5800 and schedule your consultation today.
Protein is essential during the healing process. Not only is protein necessary to build and repair tissues affected by dental implant surgery, but it also helps the body fight infection. As you recover from dental implant surgery, Dr. Grubb recommends that you eat more protein than you might normally consume so that you can boost your body’s healing abilities.
When most people think of protein-rich foods, they think of meat and nuts first. Obviously, neither of these foods will be very appealing to someone who has just undergone dental implant surgery! However, there are some easy steps you can take to keep your protein intake high while you focus on soft foods:
Try adding protein powder, avocado, or peanut butter to smoothies
Enjoy some protein-packed eggs or beans
Load up on soft dairy products like yogurt that are rich and protein
In the weeks following your dental implant surgery, you’ll also be able to incorporate meat back into your diet—just be sure to start with softer meats like ground beef, chicken, or fish.
It’s normal for patients who have recently undergone oral surgery to not have much of an appetite. You might also be nervous to eat because you’re concerned that it will be painful or damaging to your mouth. We absolutely understand this, but Dr. Grubb can’t stress enough how important it is that you give your body the fuel it needs to heal while you recover.
Following your dental implant surgery, Dr. Grubb will make sure that your mouth is able to tolerate food, so you don’t need to worry about causing damage to the treated area by eating as long as you adhere to a soft-food diet. You will be given medication to ease your discomfort, and many of our patients actually find soft, cold foods feel good on their delicate gums.
That first day after surgery, you might find that milkshakes (no straw!), ice cream, and yogurt are especially soothing. Focus on soft foods that you love, and add protein wherever you can. Gradually, your appetite should come back and you’ll be able to eat a wider variety of foods.
203 S. Washington Street
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
(410) 939-5800