Dental Implant Treatment And Your Diet
At Sheen Dental, one of the main questions we always get asked by anyone seeking to have dental implants in Richmond is “Will having dental implants affect what I can eat?” Let’s take a closer look.
One of the main goals of dental implants is to be able to maximise the person’s ability to eat whichever foods they like. This means that post surgery and post recovery, patients who have been fitted with dental implants can choose to follow a healthy diet with no restrictions should they wish. This may be a far cry from where they are now as many people with missing teeth, or indeed those who wear dentures might struggle to eat certain foods. These include foodstuffs such as crunchy vegetables, lean meat, seeds, nuts and pulses; all of which make up the majority of a healthy, well-balanced diet. In addition because many people with missing teeth struggle to chew their food properly they often aren’t extracting the maximum vitamins and minerals that the body needs from the food that they do eat. This often results in a poor dietary intake and can also be the catalyst that causes a whole host of other medical problems.
What about immediately after surgery?
Immediately after surgery patients are advised to drink plenty of liquid, preferably water but any still liquid drink such as fruit juice is good. Patients are advised to steer clear of fizzy carbonated drinks particularly those with a high sugar content such as Coca-cola. Such drinks can loosen any forming clots which may otherwise stem bleeding and aid a speedier recovery. Hot beverages should also be avoided for up to 24 hours after surgery. A ‘liquid only’ diet should only be taken until any numbness wears off. After this, it’s important to get onto solid foods in order to build strength and promote a speedy recovery.
Start off with softer nutritious foods such as soups, eggs, pasta, rice, and fish and gradually introduce newer foods as and when you feel up to it, until such times as you can eat pretty much what you like.
A word about skipping meals after implant surgery.
In order that a dental implant in Richmond can survive and ultimately thrive it needs the patient to be healthy. Skipping meals and generally feeling run down may mean a delay in bodily healing. What’s more, if you’re feeling run down or your body isn’t getting sufficient nutrients it needs then other internal processes needed to make dental implants a success such as osseointegration (bone fusion), might occur at a much slower rate. Ultimately this could delay the recovery time further. Also maintain drinking plenty of fluids to keep hydrated with at least 4 x 8oz glasses being the recommended amount.
As you can see, once fully recovered, dental implants shouldn’t effect what you can eat and in the vast majority of cases you’ll be able to eat a wider variety of foods. To find out more about dental implants in Richmond and how they can alter your life for the better, contact us on 020 8876 5277 to book a free consultation with Dr Kalsi and the team. Alternatively you can make a booking via our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk . On behalf of Sheen Dental we look forward to speaking with you.