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Dental Implant Foods
Best Foods for Post-Op Implant Surgery
Did you just receive dental implants from Drs. Tharp and Klaus, and are excited to tackle your favorite foods? Not so fast!
The days and weeks following your placement procedure are the most crucial during the healing process. At this time, it’s best to switch a softer diet, even though that means temporarily giving up textured foods you love.
Not sure what to eat? Take a look at our list below to get an idea of what’s safe for you.
The Top Five Foods for a Postoperative Diet
1. Soups/Risotto
Soups and rice-based risottos are soft and require little to no chewing. Be wary of any canned soup labeled as “chunky”, because the pieces of meat or vegetables within it may not be softened enough for your consumption.
If you plan on cooking your own stews at home, be sure to thoroughly cut and soften any pieces of meat or vegetables. This way, you won’t run the risk of damaging the implant site.
2. Eggs
Eggs are an impressively versatile food that can be served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can cook eggs in a variety of ways, and they will still be soft enough to eat in small bites. Eggs are also a great source of protein.
3. Potatoes
Like eggs, potatoes are also very versatile and can be cooked in almost every way imaginable, while still retaining a soft texture. Whether baked or mashed, potatoes are an excellent carbohydrate that can be a delicious accompaniment for any meal.
4. Soft Dairy
Softened cheese, milk, and yogurt are good snacks to have instead of something crunchy or chewy. In addition, dairy is full of calcium that keeps your teeth healthy.
If you decide to indulge in some ice cream, make sure there aren’t any chunky or crispy surprises that could irritate your surgical site, like chocolate chunks or nuts.
5. Desserts
Applesauce and Jell-O are good alternative desserts that don’t require much chewing, so they’re easy on your healing implant site. Jell-O comes in a variety of flavors and could be a fun treat to make and share with your family.
The Number One Rule: NO STRAWS
Amidst all the changes to your diet, it’s important that you remember the top rule: do NOT drink through a straw while you’re healing.
The surgical site will be protected by blood clots during the healing process, and the vacuum sucking motion can easily dislodge the clots and cause you to bleed over again.
You must avoid using a straw until Dr. Tharp and Dr. Klaus give you the okay.
Ask Us About Your Favorite Foods
Keep in mind that the goal is to avoid highly textured foods, like crunchy granola, tough jerky, or chewy candy. These require more energy and pressure to chew, putting undue stress on your implant site too soon after surgery.
Don’t worry too much about switching your diet; remember that it’s only temporary! Following your postoperative instructions will enable you to heal quicker. Once your implant site is fully healed, then you can enjoy your favorites again.
Feel free to ask us any questions about what is safe to eat. Call us at 601-939-4100 or use our online contact form for more information.
