Foods To Avoid After Dental Implant Surgery

Dentists and oral surgeons advise patients to watch their diets in the days following any type of dental implant surgery. Any wrong moves immediately after implantation could compromise the success of the procedure, so it's very important that you pay attention to dietary recommendations. 

Although you'll need to avoid certain foods while recovering, getting adequate nutrition is highly important. You need energy and nourishment to bounce back from any type of surgical procedure. After getting dental implants, patients are generally advised against consuming the following types of food for at least a month following surgery:

• Red meat- Excessive chewing should be avoided during the recovery period. Red meat is tough and needs to be thoroughly chewed, so it's best to stick to other protein sources until your implants have been firmly cemented in place and the bone has started to heal. If you wish to eat red meat, consider consuming ground meat instead of a steak. 
• Poultry- Like red meat, poultry can also be tough and require heavy chewing. Chicken should at least be finely chopped and very tender if you consume it while recovering from surgery. 
• Rice- Rice consists of small and sometimes hard food pieces that could potentially get lodged into openings around the surgery site. This could not only compromise an implant, but it could also be extremely painful. Consume softer grains like oatmeal instead of rice while recovering. 
• Seeds and nuts- Seeds and nuts are hard, crunchy foods that could potentially damage new implants. Like rice, they are also small and tend to get lodged into gaps and crevices around the teeth. 
• Popcorn- Popcorn is definitely not a good idea after surgery because it tends to get stuck in the teeth. Also, biting down on an intact kernel could be extremely painful and easily damage a new implant. 
• Hot foods- Very hot foods could weaken the implant and aggravate any discomfort felt at the surgery site. 
• Acidic or spicy foods- Acidic foods are also likely to aggravate discomfort. Acidic foods include berries; citrus fruits like oranges; some pastas, pastries, and breads; recipes that include alcoholic beverages; and foods containing significant amounts of olive oil, sesame oil, or canola oil. Spicy foods can irritate still-healing skin and may cause more discomfort while you are recovering.
• Gum or hard candies- Consuming any food that doesn't provide you with nutritional benefits but requires heavy chewing is an unnecessary risk in the days after implant surgery. Avoid hard candies and gum as much as possible.

If you have any other questions, talk to your dental surgeon or visit a site like http://www.couchmandental.com for more information.