After dental implant surgery, patients should stick to the following diet recommendations for a good recovery. It’s important to avoid any foods that may physically disrupt the implant or cause discomfort. Patients who are well prepared usually end up having a smoother recovery. We advise our patients to plan ahead and buy some soft food items prior to surgery. After you’ve had your dental implant surgery it’s very important to ensure you’re getting the right nutrition.
A nutritious diet minimizes the risk of complications, helps reduce swelling, provides nourishment, and aids the wound-healing process. The foods you eat after implant surgery should be soft and easy to chew. They should also be abundant in vitamins, minerals, energy, and protein to assist wound healing.
Here are some soft food diet suggestions
It is best to start from soft and liquid food to then progress into solids over a few days. Keeping hydrated is key.
- Daily vitamins!
- Anything put through a food blender
- Cream of Wheat, Oatmeal, Mashed Avocado, Applesauce
- Mashed Potatoes or Baked Potatoes – OK with butter/sour cream
- Mashed Banana or any mashed/blended fruit except berries with seeds
- Broth or Creamed Soup
- Mashed Steamed Vegetables – Mashed Yams, Baked Sweet Potato, or Butternut Squash
- Cottage Cheese, Cream or Soft Cheese
- Creamy Peanut Butter without solid pieces
- Eggs any style, with or without melted cheese – Omelets can have cheese and avocado
- Jell-O, Pudding, Ice Cream, Yogurt
- Milk Shakes/Smoothies *DO NOT blend with berries containing seeds
- Ensure, Slim fast nutritional drink
Avoid the following:
Always avoid tough, crunchy, spicy, and acidic foods. Most patients may resume their normal diet 7 days after surgery.
- Chewing Gum
- Eating Candy, Cookies, Chips, Nuts
- Anything Hard or Crunchy
- Anything with Seeds or Hard Pieces (fruits, breads, etc.)
- Meat that Shreds and Can Lodge under the Gums/Between the Teeth.
- Raw Vegetables/Salad
Extremely hot food is also something to stay away from and patients shouldn’t use a straw for the first few days after surgery. Also avoid drinking any alcoholic beverages and smoking.
The Bottom Line:
One of the major benefits of dental implants is being able to eat all your favorite foods with zero pain. But in order to get to that exciting stage of your dental implant journey, it’s important to follow post-procedure food guidelines. If you’ve just had surgery it’s important to choose nutrient-rich and soft-textured foods. Healthy, soft foods not only support recovery but also help prevent discomfort. If you have any questions please feel free to call us! Our team would be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding dental implant surgery.
