You’ve been eagerly awaiting your dental implant surgery and your beautiful new smile, so it’s natural to be excited to begin enjoying all the benefits of a complete set of teeth. But not so fast! Before you fire up the grill or break out that celebratory jar of macadamia nuts, it’s important to understand which foods are safe to eat while you’re healing from this procedure. Don’t put your healing at risk. Here is a list of menu options to eat at various stages of recovery that are nutritious, delicious, and won’t harm your dental implants!
Immediately After Surgery
For the first 24 to 48 hours after your dental implant surgery, it is very important that you only consume cold liquids. Nothing hot, or that requires much chewing. Here are a few suggestions:
- Broths and blended soups (served room temperature or colder)
- Mashed potato, pumpkin, or banana
- Applesauce
- Avocado
- Hummus
- Scrambled eggs
- Salmon
- Protein shakes
- Dairy-free smoothies
These foods are soft, can be enjoyed cool or cold, and provide a variety of valuable vitamins and minerals that will help fuel your body as it heals.
Day 2 and Beyond
After the first 48 hours post-surgery, you can gradually begin to expand your diet. Still, it is important to avoid anything that requires a lot of effort to break down. The rule of thumb is if you can hear it crunch or make noise when you chew, you should temporarily avoid it until your dental implants have completely healed. In addition to the above options, the following foods are great choices during this period:
- Yogurt, ice cream, or pudding (without nuts, granola, or toppings)
- Oatmeal or hot cereal
- Soft seedless fruit such as mangoes and peaches
- Steamed vegetables
- Broiled fish
- Waffles and pancakes
- Soft bread or muffins
- Thin pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine
Foods to Avoid
Now that you know the foods you can easily enjoy during your healing process, here are a few that you should avoid:
- Whole seeds and nuts (try a nut butter instead)
- Pizza crust or other crusty bread
- Hot or spicy foods
- Hard fruits or vegetables
- Popcorn, chips, pretzels or other crunchy foods
- Sticky sweets like caramel or taffy
- Alcohol (until you are done taking pain medications and antibiotics)
The great news is that once your recovery is complete, you can once again enjoy all the above, but it’s very important not to rush the process, as this will put your dental implants at risk.
Remember, though it varies by individual, most patients can take up to six months to completely heal from dental implant surgery. Once you feel ready, and your dentist gives you the green light, you may begin to eat a full range of foods of different textures and consistencies but try to stay patient with a soft diet in the interim. Your dental implants are an important investment in your oral and overall health, and it’s imperative that you care for them properly, so they last a lifetime!
About Our Practice
At Next Door Dental, Dr. Bagley and Dr. Garcia can’t wait to make you smile! If you’re missing one or more teeth and would like to learn more about the amazing benefits of durable, lifelike dental implants, schedule a consultation with us today and soon you could be sharing a beautiful new smile that lasts a lifetime. To book your appointment with Next Door Dental, please visit our website or call us today at 336-854-5850.