When Can I Eat Again Normally After Dental Implant Surgery?
For the best post surgery results those patients who have experienced dental implants in Richmond will need to keep their mouths in good shape by practising high standards of oral care. An important part of this regime is to unduly avoid excessive pressure on any newly fitted implants. For this reason many patients often question whether their diets are likely to be restricted after surgery. More importantly, if so, how long before they can chew and eat normally? Although every patient and situation is different, here’s a rough timeline or guide to give you an idea of what to expect.
The first 24 hours
In the first 24 hours patients might see some minor swelling, bruising and bleeding in and around the implant area With this in mind, it’s suggested that any hot foods are avoided because they can exacerbate the bleeding further. Soft foods such as lukewarm soups, yoghurt, puréed potato or vegetables and shakes are ideal. Just a word of warning though about shakes…avoid drinking them through a straw as the sucking action can cause further problems to your newly placed implants. Also plenty of fluids such as water can aid recovery.
The first week
A relatively soft food diet is recommended for most patients, especially during the first 2-7 days. Good nutrition is key to healing so it’s advisable that patients don’t skip meals. Foods like pasta, spinach, soft fish and soft fruits are good examples of foods that have a good balance of nutrients and vitamins to aid a healthy recovery. Also as milk contains calcium which promotes bone growth a glass or two a day, is also a good idea.
The next three to six months
This is the crucial time for anyone who has undergone dental implants in Richmond as this is the period that osseointegration (bone fusion) takes place. During this time disturbing the implant as infrequently as possible is the best option to ensure implant success.
Therefore when it comes to foods, try to avoid anything hard and crunchy, or incredibly chewy. Because of this, foods like nuts, toffees or boiled sweets, crackling or hard raw vegetables should be avoided. If you’re unsure what to eat, then as a general rule of thumb, any foods that make a noise when you crunch them, should really be avoided. Everything else should be okay.
After the osseointegration process
Finally after a successful bone fusion process, patients can pretty much eat whatever they like. This means that they can crunch down on a juicy apple or raw vegetable, chew lean meat or eat nuts and seeds without any problems whatsoever.
While there is a certain amount of inconvenience involved, especially in the first few weeks, the vast majority of patients feel that the hassle is certainly worth it in the long-term and the thought of being able to once again eat whatever they like without fear of causing further dental problems is something that could only be imagined when they first started the treatment.
If you want to find out more about how a dental implant in Richmond can help you then book a free, no obligation consultation at Sheen Dental. Dr Harmit Kalsi and the team are standing by to answer your questions, so call us on 020 8876 5277 or visit our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk today.