What Can I Eat After Getting Dental Implants?

After getting dental implants, you can eat nutritious soft foods that promote healing, including proteins, healthy fats, fruits, starches, and vegetables. This post explains the benefits of eating soft foods as dental implants heal, the progression of your soft-food diet, and how to get enough variety and nutrition to stay motivated.

Why Eat Soft Foods After Getting Dental Implants?

A soft-food diet will minimize pressure on your dental implants as they heal. Leaving dental implants undisturbed helps your jawbone integrate with them and support your dental crowns. So, it is essential to avoid chewing near the surgical sites. A 2013 article in The Open Dentistry Journal encourages eating soft, healthy foods that taste good for the following reasons:

• Promotes lasting healthy eating habits
• Gives your body nutrients that support healing
• Protects your long-term periodontal health

Below is a timeline of what you can eat immediately after your procedure and during the weeks afterward.

What Can You Eat Immediately After Getting Dental Implants?

Immediately after getting dental implants, plan to consume liquid meals for 48 hours. Drink sugar-free room temperature or cool (not cold) liquids to prevent irritation at the surgical sites. Also, avoid using a straw because the suction can dislodge blood clots at the surgical sites. 

Suggestions For A Liquid Diet

• Clear or pureed soup 
• Protein shakes
• Water
• Yogurt

What Can You Eat as Your Dental Implants Heal?

As your dental implants heal, begin with soft foods that require no chewing and gradually add foods that require minimal chewing. The timeline below includes suggestions for food choices.

Three Days to Two Weeks After Dental Implant Surgery

As you transition from a liquid diet, protect your dental implants by choosing nutritious foods that require little to no chewing.

Stock up on or prepare soft foods, including the following:

• Applesauce
• Creamy nut butter
• Hummus
• Mashed potatoes
• Pancakes
• Pureed fruits and vegetables
• Pureed proteins, including beans
• Scrambled eggs

Three to Twelve Weeks After Getting Dental Implants

During weeks three through twelve, you can eat foods that require minimal chewing. Search online for soft-food recipes or add herbs or earthy spices (not hot) to meals, creating savory options that help you maintain a soft-food diet.

Try these foods:

• Flaky fish
• Soft beans, legumes, or tofu
• Soft, seedless fruits (avocados, bananas, mangoes) or baked apples or pears
• Soft steamed or baked vegetables
• Soups and stews 
• Well-cooked cereals 

What Foods Should You Avoid After Getting Dental Implants?

Some foods can irritate dental implant sites and deter healing. Skip the following food types as your mouth heals:

• Chewy
• Crumbly
• Crunchy
• Hard
• Spicy
• Sticky
• Sugary
• Stringy

Enjoy a Healthy Recovery After Dental Implants

Maintaining a soft-food diet after getting dental implants prepares you for a lifetime of better oral health. After your dental implants heal, you can safely and comfortably eat whatever you want. The doctors at Periodontal and Implant Surgeons of Houston create personalized treatment plans for safe, predictable results and a healthy recovery. Read our dental implants page to learn more about your options.