Tags – Food After Dental Implant Surgery
Dental implants are replacement teeth that are fixed to your gums using a titanium root.
To keep it brief, the process that fits them is an invasive one: it involves opening the gums to place the implant, waiting for the gums to heal before attaching a natural looking crown.
In all honesty, the recovery period after getting dental implants is not exactly a holiday.
But, you can make this process a lot more tolerable with a good aftercare routine.
During this time, you may find yourself limited to certain foods but it’s important to remember that this is just a temporary adjustment, and not a forever solution.
To put it simply, the best recovery relies on not irritating the area for at least a week following the procedure, and to eat soft foods that are kind to the gums.
With that in mind, here are 5 of the best foods to eat after dental implant surgery.
1. Eggs
When trying to follow a soft-food diet, eating meat can feel like a struggle.
For optimal health, you need protein and that’s where eggs come in.
No matter how you like your eggs, be it boiled, fried or scrambled, eggs will always remain soft, and are packed full of nutrients.
Then, if you mix these in with other soft (but healthy) items, like vegetables, milk or cheese – you have a winning meal!
2. Fruits and Vegetables
OK, by fruit, it does not mean you can bite into a hard, crunchy apple!
But, soft fruits such as bananas, mangoes and peaches are great choices.
And if apples are your favourite, then you could go with applesauce or canned apples as an easy alternative.
In regards to vegetables, many are hard.
However, you can soften them by either simply boiling or steaming them, or pop different fruits and vegetables into a food processor.
For a truly interesting and colourful plate, make yourself a veggie meddle by mashing different veggies together, like courgettes, cauliflower, pumpkin and potatoes.
3. Soup
Soup is a go-to for a lot of people during their recovery period and it’s 100% acceptable.
No matter what your favourite flavours are, soup does not require any chewing and therefore will not interfere with your new teeth as they heal.
The only thing to keep in mind though, is to make sure you let your soup cool down; soup that is too hot can cause irritation to the affected area.
4. Shakes and Smoothies
A liquid diet may be ideal for the first few days after your surgery.
But remember – you must avoid straws as the pressure from using the straw can disrupt healing.
Let’s say you’re struggling to chew your favourite fruits or vegetables, you can blend this all together to make a filling, nutritious smoothie packed with important vitamins that are needed to speed up your recovery time.
Finally, to ensure you do not lack in protein, whip up your favourite protein shake with fruit and vegetables, in milk, to keep you fuller for longer.
Not to mention, the calcium from the milk is great for your teeth to rebuild any lost minerals.
5. Cooked Cereals
Cooked cereals are another great soft-food option following dental implant surgery.
Cereals like cream of wheat, oatmeal and bran flakes turn very soft when cooked completely.
And, you can make it a little more interesting by adding in vanilla, berries, cinnamon or honey to add extra, yummy flavours.
Not only will this taste great, you won’t have to do much chewing.
Lastly, cooked cereals come with great health benefits that are also good for stronger, happier teeth.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve lost your appetite, this is completely normal; you’ve just undergone surgery after all.
On the other hand, you may feel a little nervous to eat because you don’t want to cause any damage.
However, once the implants have fully healed and integrated with your jawbone, they will give you the chewing strength to enjoy all your favourite foods.
Until then, it’s important you avoid tough, crunchy and sticky foods to prevent any damage to your implants that could set your treatment back.
So whilst it’s important to fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to recover, adhere to a soft-food diet until you’re able to eat a wider variety.
To find out more, please contact us today.
Check our Dental Implant treatments here in the meantime.
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