Once your implants are solidly embedded in the jawbone, you can eat almost whatever you want! Keeping your dental implants in excellent condition is a lifelong pursuit, but the first few weeks after the placement surgery are particularly important. During this time, your mouth does quite a bit of healing with a blood clot over the surgical site(s), and if you don’t handle this period properly, it could lead to immediate failure. As a result, you’ll need to watch what food you put in your mouth during this sensitive time. What shouldn’t you eat with dental implants after the placement surgery? Keep reading to find out!
What Could Happen If You Lose the Blood Clot Too Soon After Dental Implant Surgery?
At first, less blood may seem like a positive thing. However, this clot covers the tender nerves and other tissues that must heal underneath. If it is disturbed before these have mended, bacteria can infect the area, causing dry socket, which can be extremely painful. As a result, do everything you can to keep the clot in place until it naturally comes out.
Why Can’t I Have Chewy or Sticky Foods After Implant Placement?
When you’ve undergone any oral surgery, your teeth and gums will be sore and tender. In other words, you should make it as easy as possible to bite and chew. Sticky, gummy, or tough foods require hard grinding and can remove the blood clot or temporary prosthetics prematurely. These foods can include steak, gummies, candy, and dried fruit.
Why Can’t I Have Hard, Crunchy Foods After Implant Placement?
Chips, nuts, and other foods that give you a satisfying crunch may be no problem with a full set of teeth. However, after healing from dental implant placement, these textures can break any remaining teeth and puncture or push the clot out of place. Even carrots and other healthy foods can be harmful during this after-surgery period.
Why Can’t I Have Drinks or Smoothies Through a Straw After Implant Placement?
Forming a suction motion in your mouth doesn’t just put force on your lips and an external straw, it also puts pressure on the inside. As a result, you could dislodge the clot when you sip a smoothie or shake through a straw. After about 48 hours, you should be able to use a straw with less worry about interfering with your healing.
Once you reach the two-day mark, you can start to slowly build back to a normal diet. Check in the mirror every once in a while to make sure the clot remains there. After about a week, you should be permitted to resume normal life again in terms of your food. The small sacrifices you make during this short time can make or break your dental implants. Don’t take the risk and avoid these damaging foods as you recover from implant placement.
About the Practice
Amherst Dental Group has dentists with training and experience to handle the entire implant process in our Williamsville office. If you find yourself feeling anxious about the surgery, we can offer sedation to calm your nerves and give you a more comfortable experience. Our options include nitrous oxide, which both kicks in and fades away within minutes, and oral conscious sedation, which is stronger. Would you like to have a free dental implant consultation to explore your case? Give us a call at 716-689-8882 or visit our website here.