What Can I Eat After Dental Implant Surgery? (And What To Avoid)

What To Eat After Surgery – Food And Drinks That Are Safe

In general, you want to stick to a diet of liquid or very soft foods for 1-2 weeks after your procedure. Soft foods won’t cause discomfort near your implant site, require little effort to chew, and also won’t leave behind bits of food that may cause irritation or even the infection of your implant site. A few great foods to eat right for your first week after treatment include:

• Yogurt
• Soft scrambled eggs
• Mashed potatoes
• Creamy soups and broths
• Ice cream
• Pudding
• Applesauce
• Milkshakes

After about a week, you can start eating some slightly firmer foods, including:

• Pasta
• Macaroni
• Rice
• Pancakes
• Cooked vegetables
• Soft bread or buns

As far as drinks go, most things are fair game, though we recommend avoiding really hot or cold drinks, since they can irritate your implant site and cause sensitivity.

What NOT To Eat After Surgery – Food And Drinks To Avoid

In general, you want to avoid eating really tough and chewy foods, as well as crunchy or hard foods and chewy foods. Tough and chewy foods are hard to chew with a new implant, and crunchy or hard foods can leave behind shards of food and damage your implant site. A few examples of foods you should avoid include:

• Steak
• Crunchy vegetables
• Chips, pretzels, and crackers
• Seeds
• Nuts
• Hard candy
• Caramels
• Taffy

You can start introducing these foods back into your diet around two weeks after your surgery. You also should avoid carbonated beverages and alcohol for at least 2-3 days after your appointment.