What to eat after dental implant surgery?

Tips from Dr. Feng on what to eat following a dental implant surgery

If you have a dental implant procedure, you must follow the instructions of your Fairview dentist or oral surgeon following your dental implant surgery. Once fully healed, your new dental implants will function like your natural teeth, where you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite foods. However, following your surgery, you have to be careful which foods you eat in the first few weeks after surgery, as certain foods may physically disrupt the implant and cause painful discomfort to the surgical area.

We’ve put together a simple guide on what to eat after dental implant surgery. These tips will help reduce complications, speed up your recovery time, and increase your chance to a successful dental implant placement. Click to view infographic: Guide to Eating After Getting Dental Implants

We’ve put together a simple guide on what to eat after dental implant surgery. These tips will help reduce complications, speed up your recovery time, and increase your chance of successful treatment.

What Soft Foods You Can Eat After Dental Implant Procedure

After placing your dental implant, you should follow a soft food diet for the first 24 – 48 hours to give your teeth, implant, and jaw to heal from surgery. We recommend that you plan your meal in advance as you may be in some discomfort following your surgery. It’s typical not to have an appetite following your oral surgery; however, missing meals can be detrimental for you. Proper nutrition is important as your body needs nourishment to gain the strength and energy to feel better sooner. If you have a special diet requirement related to a medical condition, such as being a diabetic, you should follow the instructions given to you by your doctor on what type of foods you should eat.

Dr. Feng recommends eating soft foods and drinking plenty of water during the first 48 hours following your dental surgery. Here are some recommendations.

Smoothies – Smoothies are a great option for post-surgery nutrition needs. They’re high in fiber, low-calorie, and full of essential vitamins.
Applesauce – Applesauce can also be a good food to eat when your implant is still healing. It’s soft, gentle, and flavorful.
Cold soups – It is important to avoid hot foods after surgery, but you may eat cold soups such as gazpacho or chilled tomato basil soup. Here’s a list of delicious cold soup recipes.
Meal replacement drinks or natural fruit juices – Such as protein drinks or milkshakes as they will make you feel full.
Other soft foods – Mashed potatoes, mashed bananas, yogurt, tofu, flaky fish, ice cream, soft fruits (not acidic), liquid foods.
Soft cold foods – In addition to getting the much needed nutrients, many patients find that eating soft cold food feels good on their sensitive gums.

Foods to avoid following your dental implant treatment

To better ensure the long-term health of your implant, you mustn’t eat or drink certain foods for at least a couple of weeks after you have your implant placed. Also, please refrain from using tobacco products, straws, or a water bottle that requires suction for at least 2 weeks as it may irritate the area.

Alcoholic beverages – We recommend that you don’t drink alcohol or carbonated beverages for 48 hours after surgery as it can irritate the area
Tough chewy foods – Nuts, steak, raw vegetables, or any other type of food that requires intense chewing
Crunchy foods – Crusty bread such as French bread, apples, popcorn ,and chips
Sticky foods – Caramel and taffy
Chewy foods – Chewy candy, rolls, and bagels
Spicy foods – Spicy peppers, salsa, and hot sauce
Acidic foods – Soft drinks, oranges and tomatoes
Very hot foods and liquids, such as coffee and soup, as it may cause bleeding and swelling

What to Eat in the Weeks After Implant Surgery

Don’t rush through your recovery and as you may find yourself craving solid foods. As you continue to heal, slowly add soft solid foods that can be easily cut with the side of a fork into your diet. Dr. Feng recommends eating meals rich in protein and other essential nutrients to speed up your recovery and repair tissues affected by the procedure. If you’re unsure what types of food are ok, ask your general dentist or oral surgeon if you have any questions on whether or not it’s ok to eat more solid foods.

Proteins – Beans, eggs, omelets, chicken, fish, soft meats such as ground beef, ground pork, and ground turkey
Healthy carbohydrates – Mashed potatoes, beets, bananas, oats, mango blueberries, pasta, peaches, whole grain soft bread
Healthy fats – Fatty fish like salmon, avocados, nut butters, edamame, olives
Dairy – Milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, protein shakes
Steamed vegetables – Any type of vegetable is recommended, such as broccoli and carrots – as long as it’s easy to chew and it’s in small pieces

Tips on getting enough nutrition after dental implant surgery

Typically, you need to follow a soft-food diet for the first few months after you’ve received your dental implants. This means you should avoid crunchy or hard items as you might be wearing a temporary crown not meant for hard foods. After this period, your new implants will be successfully integrated with your jawbone, and you’ll be able to enjoy and eat normally as you did before your implant. Here are some tips on how to get enough nutrition after your surgery.

Eat often – To avoid common pitfalls after dental implant surgery, it’s important to eat and drink regularly during recovery. Doing so will give you the sustenance you need for a speedy recovery and feel better overall.
Add protein supplements – Our patients are often concerned about getting enough protein due to the soft food recommendation. We understand that not eating solid food is hard and that not getting the correct amount of protein might put you off your balance of healthy nutrients per day. This is why we always advise our patients to try other soft foods rich in protein or by adding protein supplements to your diet.
Follow the post-operative dental implant instructions – It usually takes a couple of days after surgery to feel somewhat better. It is important not to aggravate the healing process, which is why the doctor recommends you to follow the post-op instructions to ensure you do not set your treatment back or cause more pain.

Foods to Minimize over the Long Term

The great thing about dental implants is that you can enjoy eating a normal range of foods as soon as the initial recovery period has passed. Despite being one of the most accepted ways of replacing missing teeth, most people don’t realize the precautions and limitations they may have to follow to ensure your implants do not get damaged.

Drinks with a high concentration of color also may cause discoloration to your dental work and your natural teeth. These include red wine, coffee, and tea.
High-sugar desserts and junk foods taste good, and there’s nothing wrong with indulging your sweet tooth now and then. But consuming too many sweets can be harmful in other ways. Refined sugar is a primary cause of tooth decay and cavities without proper oral hygiene.

Post-Op Dental Implant Diet FAQ

Will I be able to eat normally again?

The short answer? Absolutely yes. After your mouth is healed and you have your permanent crown placed, you will be able to eat anything you want as they will function just like your natural teeth. There are literally no restrictions on what or how much you can eat. You never have to worry about your new dental implant teeth falling out or getting damaged if you accidentally bite into something hard.

Why can’t I use a straw after dental implant surgery?

The pressure caused by the sucking motion from a straw can easily dislodge the blood clot that forms on the post-implant site, which is essential for proper healing.

Why is protein intake important after dental implant surgery?

The body is constantly repairing itself, so eating protein is important to keep the process going post-surgery. Protein is essential to your body’s recovery and especially important when you need to ward off any infections or prevent a poorly healed wound. As the healing process continues, we recommend increasing your protein intake to aid in your recovery. Ways to increase your protein intake include adding protein powder to smoothies, soft dairy products like yogurt, or adding eggs or beans to your meal.

What do I do if I don't feel like eating after dental implant surgery?

It’s perfectly normal to have a decreased appetite and be nervous that eating could hurt or damage your surgery site after oral surgery. However, it’s important to eat nutritious soft foods to repair your body and get well as fast as possible. Many patients find that ice cream, milkshakes, and yogurt are especially soothing during this recovery process.

When you’re ready to eat after your dental implant surgery, choose foods that are soft and easy to chew, like macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, yogurt, and pudding. In time, your appetite will increase, and you can enjoy a wider variety of foods again.

Restore your smile with dental implants

When you lose a tooth or teeth, it can make you feel self-conscious or unhappy with your smile. But at Sloan Creek Dental, we make it our mission to restore your smile in Fairview, TX. Call us at 972-468-1440 today to schedule your consultation with Dr. Feng.

Our dental office is located in Fairview, Texas, and our patients visit us from across the surrounding areas, including Allen, Plano, McKinney, and Lucas.