Right after the dental implant surgery, it will be impossible for you to chew for the first 24-48 hours. Ironically, the first thing a patient feels post-surgery is extreme hunger, as you have to stop eating for 6 hours before the surgery. You will stick to a completely liquid or soft food diet to avoid putting pressure on your jaws.
Remember that different bodies have different healing capacities. It is always better to consult a dental specialist like Dr. Ram Nallapaneni at Riverside Family Dental for post-surgery care. Following are some dietary considerations you can take:
No, you cannot switch to a normal diet like bread, pasta, or cheese that is chewy and sticky. Your chewing ability will be greatly affected after dental implant surgery. We suggest that you stick to soft foods like yogurt, pudding, and smoothies (minus straw) to avoid chewing and biting on your tongue, which you might do due to the numbing effect of anesthesia.
A week past the surgery, you can switch to foods that need a minor chewing effort, such as cheese, soft bread, cooked veggies, boiled or fried eggs, and rice. Furthermore, after two weeks in recovery mode, you can begin with solid foods like raw vegetables, chicken, or turkey meat, but this solely depends on your healing pace. You must also avoid chewing on the implant side for 2 weeks.
Your healing process depends on your overall physical and oral health and hygiene. However, you can adhere to some expert tips religiously to accelerate your recovery duration.
The first couple of days after the surgery, you can feel sick and nauseous and might not feel like eating anything. But this is probably the biggest harm you can cause yourself. Do not skip your meals, as you need proper nutrition to make it through the recovery phase seamlessly. Complete your daily requirement of calories you need to stay strong.
Keeping your body hydrated with the help of water and other fluids will prevent you from feeling dizzy or nauseous. You can feel instantly better after the surgery.
It would be best if you also consider skipping your daily exercise routine or activities like lifting weights, etc. This will save you energy and reduce the possibility of bleeding or discomfort to a great extent.
You should start rinsing your mouth with saline or salt water mixture twice daily and after every meal. You can also brush your teeth, but avoid touching your surgical site with the toothbrush. Consider asking your dentist for oral hygiene advice on your follow-up visit.
To prevent implant failure, try staying away from smoking cigarettes or chewing on smokeless tobacco. Completely stop their use, which can delay your healing process and cause further complications.
A famous phrase, “You are what you eat,” accurately highlights the importance of your diet. Therefore, whatever medical procedure you go through, healthy and right eating can benefit you in recovery.
Convinced enough to schedule your next appointment for a better lifestyle and beautiful smile? Contact Riverside Family Dental, dial (586)-468-0983 to book a slot.
