Dental implants have become one of the great solutions to tooth loss.
A great alternative to dentures and bridges, implants are placed directly within the jaw bone, replacing the missing tooth successfully.
While implants replace missing teeth, they also restore your ability to chew that might have been previously lost to you.
As a result, you might be wondering how you can chew healthy foods using your new dental implants.
Vancouver dental implants specialist Dr. Lunn has some tips on how to eat with dental implants:
- Go easy after dental surgery. After you have your implants placed, your jaw is going to be tender for a while as the implant heals into the jaw, integrating with the bone. Because of this, you will want to stick with softer foods. Foods that are easy to eat, like mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, soups, oatmeal, and even smoothies are all good types of foods to eat as your implants heal. You won’t have to maintain this type of diet forever, but in the beginning, it can allow your implant to heal and help keep your mouth comfortable.
- Hard foods can still damage your implants. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t bite something with your real teeth, you certainly should not try to bite it with your implants. Implants are a great replacement for teeth, but they are still susceptible to damage, whether to the crown of the implant or the implant itself.
This does not mean that you have to eat soft foods forever, but you should be aware when chewing hard foods.
- Cut chewy foods into smaller pieces. While your implant is healing, you can cut tougher foods into smaller pieces in order to be able to chew them easier. Ground meats, such as hamburgers, are normally easier to chew as well.
You should avoid meats that require a lot of jaw movement to be able to swallow. Marinating meats before cooking can also help to tenderize them.
- Home care is important. With a dental implant, you still need to keep up with brushing after every meal and flossing at least once a day. Implants are placed within the gum line, which means they are still at risk of gum disease, just like your natural teeth are. Implants should also be brushed in order to maintain the health of the teeth around them as well as the health of the implant within the bone.
- Enjoy eating! Once your implants have successfully healed, you should be able to eat all of the foods that you love. Implants are designed to function just like your natural teeth and should be used to eat whatever foods you would like to eat.
If you are still feeling tenderness after your implants are placed, you should hold off on anything tough to chew until the tooth has integrated well. Giving your implant ample time to heal will give you the best chance of success with your implant.
You want to have the best results from your dental implants possible.
Take good care of your implants, just as you would your natural teeth.
If you have any concerns about your implants or whether you can have dental implants, talk to your dentist about it today.