Your North York Invisalign® Provider
Dental implants can help restore your smile, but there are a few foods you’ll need to avoid while you recover after your surgery and in the long term. Today, our North York dentists list which foods to steer clear of as you heal.
Which foods should I avoid after a dental implant procedure?
Dental implant surgery can help replace lost teeth, preserve your oral health and improve your confidence in your smile. Following surgery, you’ll be advised to stick to a soft diet and avoid hard, acidic or sugary foods.
First 10 to 14 Days
The time immediately following your procedure is critical to your recovery. You should avoid eating these foods, as consuming them may delay the healing process or cause the dental implant to move before fusing can occur:
- Steak
- Ice cubes
- Carrots (unless shredded into tiny pieces)
- Apples
- Toast
- Popcorn
- Spicy foods
- Sticky foods
- Bagels
- Crusty bread (french bread)
- Hard taco shells
- Potato chips or corn chips
- Hard foods of any kind
Your dentist will strongly advise against eating solid foods as this can put unnecessary strain on the surgical area. If food gets stuck in the part of your mouth that’s still healing, the surgical area or your implant may become irritated and infection can occur, delaying healing.
Long Term
Though your dental implants will allow you to gradually get back to eating a wide range of foods in the long term, some should be avoided or cut back - both because of your implants and to encourage general health. These include:
Alcoholic Drinks
While the odd alcoholic beverage is fine, most of these drinks are high in simple carbs and sugars, which are bad for your physical health. Too much alcohol can also harm your liver and other organs.
Coloured Beverages
Red wine, coffee and tea might be fun indulgences, but large amounts of these can stain your natural teeth as well as your implants when enjoyed in large quantities.
Sugary Foods
While the occasional treat is okay, eating sugary foods every day will encourage decay to spread. These also put you at increased risk for obesity and diabetes, send blood sugar levels rising and contribute to bad overall health.
Your body will take its own time to heal, during which soft foods should be your source of nutrients. You’ll also need to watch which beverages you drink - steer clear of alcoholic, sugary, acidic, excessively hot or cold drinks. Drink directly from a cup, as using a straw may cause an issue called dry socket.
After about 7 to 10 days, most patients will be able to return to their normal diet. However, in some cases, your dentist may recommend eating a soft diet for up to 6 weeks following the procedure.