What to Eat and Drink After Dental Implant Surgery

Dental implants are a serious surgical procedure, and the recovery period is of utmost importance. In fact, if your implants don’t heal properly or you encounter an infection at the surgical site, the dental implants could fail entirely. While there are many aspects to manage in your post-operative period, such as pain, swelling and your activity level, there are several restrictions about what you should eat and drink. In fact, the way you drink and what you eat could make or break your dental implants healing period. While pain and swelling are very temporary, your dietary restrictions should be adhered to for 10 to 14 days, or as recommended by your dentist.

Rules for Your Diet After Implant Placement

The first hours after surgery, your dentist will typically recommend liquids only. And don’t skimp on liquids. It is important for your body to stay well hydrated during your recovery period, especially to flush out any general or IV sedation that was used during your procedure

Sipping on liquids is highly recommended, but don’t use a straw. In fact, you’ll want to avoid the sucking motion of a straw for several days, as this can disrupt clotting at the surgical site and cause more bleeding. In addition, stay away from carbonated drinks and beverages that are very hot.

When it comes to eating, nutritious foods are highly important. Since you’ll be following a soft-foods diet for more than just a couple of days, you’ll need to choose wisely. Your body relies on proper nutrients and vitamins to heal itself, so avoid the temptation to just eat mashed potatoes and Jello. You’ll find that you feel better and heal faster if you pay attention to the quality of your “soft-foods” diet.

There’s plenty of healthy foods and snacks that you can eat that won’t cause trauma to your gums or compromise the critical healing process of dental implants.

Suggestions for food and drinks after dental implant surgery:

• Juice, water, milk, coffee, tea.
• Cooked cereals, such as oatmeal or cream of wheat, yogurt.
• Scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, apple sauce.
• Home cooked broth, bouillon, soups.
• Ground beef, baked or broiled fish, broiled or stewed chicken (finely chopped).
• Macaroni and cheese, soft bread, baked or mashed potatoes.
• Jell-O, puddings, pound cake, milkshakes, ice cream.

If you are scheduled to have your implants placed by Dr. Wayne Suway, you can expect a detailed list of instructions to take home with you. We will follow up with your post-operative healing to ensure your dental implants are set up for optimal success.