How to Care for Your Dental Implants Post-Surgery
Are you considering getting dental implants in Seattle to improve your smile? If so, you are on the right path. Missing teeth come with lots of issues, including speech problems, difficulty chewing, bone loss, and much more. Let’s not forget that poor aesthetics is also something you would have to live with for life.
However, teeth implants are an excellent technology and the best when it comes to tooth replacement. Your tooth will be replaced from the root to the crown. Even though nothing beats having your natural pearly whites, dental implants in Seattle come close.
But, for them to serve you for life, you need to treat them well, or else the treatment won’t work as it should. This is why our dentist in Seattle has come up with some nuggets of wisdom to help you navigate the post-surgery phase.
What to Avoid After Implants Have Been Placed
Once you come out of surgery, you might be tempted to indulge in some of your favorite meals. However, it is best if you don’t give in to your cravings since this can deter you from healing as scheduled. Once the implants are placed, you need to give them time so that your jawbone heals. When the implants have fused, you can eat whatever you want.
Therefore, after surgery, you need to steer clear of the following foods:
- Spicy foods, such as chili peppers or salsa, can cause pain, inflammation, or discomfort.
- Acidic foods, such as oranges and tomatoes, can cause a burning sensation in your healing gums because of the high acidity levels.
- Crunchy foods, such as popcorns, chips, and nuts, have the knack of getting lodged between your teeth and can cause pain or inflammation. It can also be challenging to chew them.
- Tough foods, such as steak and raw vegetables, need a lot of biting and chewing force, causing pain or even impeding the healing of the gums.
- Very hot foods and drinks or liquids such as soups can hurt your gums.
- Sticky and chewy foods, such as caramel, bagels, taffy, gummy bears, and much more, can get stuck on and in between your teeth.
What to Eat After Implants Have Been Placed
Remember that your jaws, gums, and teeth will be in a delicate state after the implants have been placed. Therefore, you need to exercise caution the first seven days or so post-surgery. Here are some foods that you can add to your diet during this period:
- Cold soups – Since you are avoiding hot liquids, cold soups such as gazpacho come in handy.
- Applesauce – Apples are crunchy and so need to be avoided. However, applesauce is packed with nutrients and will not harm your healing gums.
- Smoothies – These are an excellent way to go since they do not need you to chew, and they are nutritious and filling.
As your jawbone keeps on healing, you can start introducing some solid foods, such as:
- Pasta, soft bread, and rice are good soft foods that can help increase your energy levels.
- Potatoes are also a fantastic addition to your diet since they are soft and versatile.
- Chicken, ground beef, and fish are packed with nutrients and are soft enough not to harm your healing gums.
- Milk, yogurt, and cheese, and other dairy products are key in the healing process since they have calcium and proteins that help keep your teeth strong and healthy.
Extra Tips
Once you have locked down the above eating habits, there are still some things that you need to consider, such as:
Sleeping Position
Sleeping can be uncomfortable after the implant surgery. Also, you need to know that sleep is vital if you are to heal as you should. Therefore, to reduce pain and discomfort during sleep, you need to elevate your head.
This will help reduce the blood flow to your gums, thus decreasing the bleeding and swelling. You should elevate your head for three days post-surgery.
Cleaning the Implants
This is critical since it makes a lot of difference in your oral health and how long the implants last. Some tips are:
- Floss each day with dental implant-specific floss.
- Brush your teeth each day after meals with a low abrasive toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush.
- Brush under and around the crown.
- Use a nylon interdental brush to clean the hard-to-reach places.
Implants are an effective treatment offered within cosmetic dentistry and can change your smile if you take good care of them. Contact our endodontist at Greenlake Dental if you need dental implants in Seattle.
Click to listen highlighted text! How to Care for Your Dental Implants Post-Surgery Jun 08, 2021 Are you considering getting dental implants in Seattle to improve your smile? If so, you are on the right path. Missing teeth come with lots of issues, including speech problems, difficulty chewing, bone loss, and much more. Let’s not forget that poor aesthetics is also something you would have to live with for life. However, teeth implants are an excellent technology and the best when it comes to tooth replacement. Your tooth will be replaced from the root to the crown. Even though nothing beats having your natural pearly whites, dental implants in Seattle come close. But, for them to serve you for life, you need to treat them well, or else the treatment won’t work as it should. This is why our dentist in Seattle has come up with some nuggets of wisdom to help you navigate the post-surgery phase. What to Avoid After Implants Have Been Placed Once you come out of surgery, you might be tempted to indulge in some of your favorite meals. However, it is best if you don’t give in to your cravings since this can deter you from healing as scheduled. Once the implants are placed, you need to give them time so that your jawbone heals. When the implants have fused, you can eat whatever you want. Therefore, after surgery, you need to steer clear of the following foods: Spicy foods, such as chili peppers or salsa, can cause pain, inflammation, or discomfort. Acidic foods, such as oranges and tomatoes, can cause a burning sensation in your healing gums because of the high acidity levels. Crunchy foods, such as popcorns, chips, and nuts, have the knack of getting lodged between your teeth and can cause pain or inflammation. It can also be challenging to chew them. Tough foods, such as steak and raw vegetables, need a lot of biting and chewing force, causing pain or even impeding the healing of the gums. Very hot foods and drinks or liquids such as soups can hurt your gums. Sticky and chewy foods, such as caramel, bagels, taffy, gummy bears, and much more, can get stuck on and in between your teeth. What to Eat After Implants Have Been Placed Remember that your jaws, gums, and teeth will be in a delicate state after the implants have been placed. Therefore, you need to exercise caution the first seven days or so post-surgery. Here are some foods that you can add to your diet during this period: Cold soups – Since you are avoiding hot liquids, cold soups such as gazpacho come in handy. Applesauce – Apples are crunchy and so need to be avoided. However, applesauce is packed with nutrients and will not harm your healing gums. Smoothies – These are an excellent way to go since they do not need you to chew, and they are nutritious and filling. As your jawbone keeps on healing, you can start introducing some solid foods, such as: Pasta, soft bread, and rice are good soft foods that can help increase your energy levels. Potatoes are also a fantastic addition to your diet since they are soft and versatile. Chicken, ground beef, and fish are packed with nutrients and are soft enough not to harm your healing gums. Milk, yogurt, and cheese, and other dairy products are key in the healing process since they have calcium and proteins that help keep your teeth strong and healthy. Extra Tips Once you have locked down the above eating habits, there are still some things that you need to consider, such as: Sleeping Position Sleeping can be uncomfortable after the implant surgery. Also, you need to know that sleep is vital if you are to heal as you should. Therefore, to reduce pain and discomfort during sleep, you need to elevate your head. This will help reduce the blood flow to your gums, thus decreasing the bleeding and swelling. You should elevate your head for three days post-surgery. Cleaning the Implants This is critical since it makes a lot of difference in your oral health and how long the implants last. Some tips are: Floss each day with dental implant-specific floss. Brush your teeth each day after meals with a low abrasive toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Brush under and around the crown. Use a nylon interdental brush to clean the hard-to-reach places. Implants are an effective treatment offered within cosmetic dentistry and can change your smile if you take good care of them. Contact our endodontist at Greenlake Dental if you need dental implants in Seattle.