Helpful Tips For Eating When You Have Dental Implants

If you are having dental implants put in at a place like Oral Surgery Center, you are probably really excited about the major positive changes that they will make in your life, such as making you feel more confident about your smile. However, you might also be worried about whether or not there will be any negative effects on your life. For example, you might be worried about it being hard to eat when you have dental implants.

Luckily -- unlike dentures, which can slip and slide if you aren't careful -- you should not have to worry about your dental implants causing too many problems when you're eating. However, there are still a couple of things that you should keep in mind:

Stick to Soft Foods at First

Once your dental implants are put in, your dental care professional will probably advise you to stick to a soft food diet for a certain period of time after your procedure. How long you should wait before eating solid foods again will depend on a few things, such as the number of dental implants that you've had put in and the amount of healing that is left to be done to your gums and jaw. Do not eat solid foods before it is recommended; otherwise, you might not give your dental implant enough time to heal, which could cause it to be damaged or could cause discomfort.

Be Careful When Biting Down

As with your natural teeth, you'll want to be careful about biting down on something that is hard, like a piece of hard candy. Doing so can put too much pressure on your dental implant, which could cause it to crack, break or fall out completely. Avoid chewing on ice or hard candy, and cut up harder foods into smaller pieces to make chewing easier.

Clean Them Thoroughly

To keep the area around your dental implants healthy and to keep your implants looking bright and pretty, make sure that you clean them thoroughly after eating. Avoid using an abrasive toothpaste, and use a soft toothbrush to avoid leaving scratches on your implants. Also, consider using a water flosser rather than regular floss to avoid damaging your implants.

Eating should be a breeze with your dental implants, but you do still have to be careful. Luckily, following these tips -- as well as any suggestions that might have been given to you by your dental care professional -- can help.