Enjoy These Popular Summer Foods with Dental Implants

For many people, enjoying summer often involves chowing down on their favorite foods. Refreshing watermelon, juicy cheeseburgers off the grill, and a cool ice cream cone are all popular summer treats. Are you are considering replacing your missing teeth with dental implants soon? You won’t have to miss out on your favorite summer flavors! Here are some tips on which foods you can eat after implant surgery and once your dental implants have completely healed.  

What Are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a tiny titanium post that is surgically inserted into the jawbone in the space where a tooth has gone missing. Over the course of several months, the implant fuses with the surrounding bone through a natural process called “osseointegration”. Once the implant has healed, an artificial tooth is attached on top. By replacing the missing tooth root structure, dental implants provide superior support to a dental crown, bridge, or denture.

What Should You Eat After Dental Implant Surgery?

Your dentist will likely recommend that you stick to a soft food diet for a week or so following dental implant surgery. Thankfully, there are plenty of delicious summer foods you can choose from during this initial recovery period. For example, you can eat macaroni and cheese or drink a refreshing fruit smoothie (just be sure you don’t use a straw). Other options include:

• Scrambled Eggs
• Mashed potatoes
• Apple Sauce
• Pudding
• Noodles

Which Summer Foods Can You Enjoy with Dental Implants?

Once your dental implants have fully healed, you can enjoy pretty much all of your favorite foods! From watermelon to hamburgers and beyond, feel free to load up your plate without worry. Implants restore 70% to 90% of full chewing power, which is significantly more than traditional bridges or dentures. Best of all, you will never have to worry about your replacement teeth slipping while you eat!

Which Summer Foods Should You Avoid?

While your dental implants are strong enough to eat most foods, here are two summer staples you may want to be careful around.

Hot Dogs

You don’t have to totally give up grilling and eating hot dogs. However, you should know that hot dogs are loaded with processed saturated fat. Frequently consuming saturated fats can lead to gum inflammation and even periodontal disease. With that in mind, try to indulge in hot dogs only every once and a while. 

Corn on the Cob

The kernels from corn on the cob can easily get stuck in between your teeth and implants. It may be safer for your oral health to just cut off the kernels with a knife and eat them with a fork or spoon.

Ultimately, you should treat your dental implants a lot like your natural teeth. By exercising caution and care and practicing good oral hygiene, you can enjoy many more summers with a full smile!

About the Author

Dr. Reza Jafari has over 15 years of experience rebuilding smiles with dental implants in the East Valley. He offers start-to-finish implant treatment and can even mill brand new replacement teeth in his office using CEREC technology. To learn more about dental implants, visit the Queen Creek Complete Dental website or call 480-882-1151.