What Can I Eat After Dental Implant Surgery?

Are you struggling with missing teeth and thinking about getting dental implants in South Los Angeles? 

Keep reading this short blog post from Overhill Dental to learn what you can eat after your surgery and other tips to support healing.

How Does the Implant Placement Process Work?

Dental implant surgery involves taking the titanium post and inserting it into the jaw bone to replace the missing tooth’s root. The dentist will make an incision into the gums and insert the post into the bone.

If the tooth isn’t missing but damaged, you’ll first need an extraction, which can either be done a few weeks prior or during the same appointment, depending on what the surgeon recommends.

It may surprise you to learn that the implant placement process only takes around 1–2 hours. Once the post is inserted, you’ll enter the healing stage known as osseointegration, during which the bone and surrounding tissues fuse to the implant. This stage can take around 6 months.

What Can You Eat After Implant Surgery?

First, post-surgical dietary restrictions are temporary, so you won’t have to avoid your favorite foods for the whole 6-month healing timeline.

Here’s a breakdown of what foods you should eat and when:

• First 2-3 days: Stick to soft foods that don’t require lots of chewing, like yogurt, mashed potatoes, or applesauce. Your mouth may be slightly sensitive at the moment, and chewing can put too much pressure on it.

• Next 4–7 days: You can then start to eat harder foods like pasta, cheese, soft bread, or cooked vegetables;

• 1-2 weeks after your surgery: By this point, you’ll most likely be able to resume your regular diet.

Apart from what you eat, be sure to chew on the other side of the mouth to prevent any foods from affecting the implant site. In the first few days, you should also avoid foods that are too hot or too cold, since the mouth could be more sensitive.

Other Tips to Support Implant Healing

Apart from adjusting your diet, you should also:

• Continue to brush and floss your teeth every day.
• Rinse the mouth after every meal with water.
• Don’t smoke, vape, or use tobacco products.
• Rest for the first few days and avoid the gym or strenuous physical activity.
• Don’t use a straw or spit for the first 3–4 days.
• Don’t brush directly over the implant site (rinse the mouth with saline water if you want to be more thorough with your oral hygiene). 

Dental Implants in Los Angeles

Missing teeth can make you feel self-confident about your appearance and affect your overall oral health. Dr. Alexaundrea Smith is here to help you find out if dental implants are the right solution for you and create an effective path toward a healthy and stunning smile.

Schedule an appointment at Overhill Dental today.

Have more questions about implants? Then feel free to call us at (323) 296-6180.