If you visit Innovative Dental by Dr. A in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to get a dental implant in the near future, or if you have recently received your dental implant, you may have questions about post-operative care. In particular, you may wonder what you can and should eat as you recover and heal from your procedure. What follows are some recommendations you can follow regarding dietary concerns, as well as some other recovery and healing tips from Dr. Anirudh Patel.
The Best Foods You Should Be Eating Following Your Dental Implant Surgery
Following your dental implant procedure, during the first 24 hours after receiving dental implants, you should stick to soft foods or just liquids. Chewing while your mouth is still numb from the numbing agents used for your procedure could result in you biting your tongue or chewing your mouth unknowingly.
Ideal foods you can stick to include yogurt, pudding, smoothies, applesauce, ice cream, clear broths, creamy soups, mashed potatoes, and other soft or liquid foods. Avoid drinking through a straw or drinking carbonated liquids (minimum one week). Do not consume alcoholic beverages while taking your pain medication. Most importantly DO NOT SMOKE as it increases the risk of implant failure.
During the first week following your treatment, you will be able to progress to foods that may require some chewing but are still soft. Pancakes, rice, soft bread, macaroni and cheese (and other kinds of pasta), well-cooked vegetables, and eggs are all suitable dietary options.
After a week or two has passed, you can move on to foods that require more chewing. Foods like meat and raw vegetables may be appropriate at this stage. However, this depends on the speed at which you heal. Whatever food you attempt to eat, avoid chewing it on the side of your mouth, which received the dental implant until at least two weeks.
Contact Us Today: (215) 624-1935
More Tips for Healing
If you are looking for ways to make sure you heal promptly and with minimal complications following your dental implant procedure, here are some general guidelines you can follow:
- Eat Regularly: It is essential to not skip meals during the first few days following your procedure when you may be in pain or even nauseous. Proper nutrition is essential to your health and to maintaining your strength as you heal. Eating consistently and getting enough food daily will help your healing process
- Restrict Exercise: For the first week following your procedure, limit or outright avoid exercise. Heavy exertion in any form could be counterproductive to your intended goal of minimizing bleeding
- Take Care of Your Mouth: 24 hours after surgery, you can begin to rinse your mouth with warm salt water each morning, following meals, and prior to bed. You may also begin brushing as long as you avoid contact with the surgical site for a minimum of 48 hours.
To learn more about dental implants and how you can care for yourself following your procedure, please call our Philadelphia, PA office today at (215) 624-1935.