Dental implants have proved to be the only effective long-term tooth replacement solution that allows patients to continue enjoying their everyday lives the same way they would with their complete set of natural teeth. However, the process of placing dental implants is quite invasive, and therefore it might leave you incapacitated for a few days.
Your doctor will guide you through the dental implant recovery process, advising you on what to do and not during the recovery period. One of the changes that you will have to make during this period is your diet. Continue reading to learn more about what to eat after dental implant surgery.
What Foods Should You Eat After Dental Implant Surgery?
Soft and Tender Foods
To prevent further injuries to the surgical wound, you should stay away from crunchy foods such as raw fruits, pizza crusts, sandwiches, and many more for a few days after the surgery. Instead, eat soft and fork-tender foods that do not require a lot of chewing. We advise you to stick to anything that can be cut with the side of a fork. These include smashed avocados, mashed potatoes, yogurt, seedless smoothies, pudding, milkshakes, and many others.
Fruits and Vegetables
A week or two after the surgery, you can include soft fruits and vegetables in your diet. For instance, you can have ripe bananas, mangoes, pears, peaches, among others. However, stay away from fruits with seeds, including strawberries, watermelons, and raspberries. Steamed vegetables and apple sauce are also great for you at this point.
Meat and Other Sources of Protein
As your surgical wound continues to heal, you should start to include meat and other sources of protein in your diet, albeit sparingly. For example, you can have boiled fish, meatloaf, tofu, roasted chicken or chicken stew, and soups with tiny soft pieces of veggies and meat.
Bread and Rice
Bread, pasta, and rice are essential sources of carbohydrates that are necessary for giving your body energy. Therefore, you can have soft loaves of bread, pancakes, muffins, waffles, rice pasta, spaghetti, macaroni, and cooked cereals such as oatmeal, farina, cream of rice, and grits.
Remember that your body needs all the necessary nutrients and minerals to recover quickly. Therefore, you need to eat and drink regularly to keep your body energized and nourished. The long-term success of your dental implants depends on the type of food you eat during recovery.
