A soft food diet is just as it sounds; all foods that are easier to chew or do not require any chewing. When it comes to the dental implant process, you will need to become familiar with everything that comes with a “soft food diet.” Many patients wonder what a soft food diet entails and why it is important after dental implant surgery.
A common assumption of what a soft food diet is that it is extremely limited. It is restrictive, but it is only temporary. There are plenty of different foods you can eat while you recover from surgery, whether you had a single or multiple dental implants or the All-on-4® Treatment Concept. You will need to maintain a well-balanced diet. A good diet aids in the overall healing process.
Your oral surgeon will instruct you on specific foods to eat and which ones to avoid. The type of dental implant surgery you have will determine your specific soft food diet. You can assume that soft foods like scrambled eggs, pasta, soft bananas, light fish, juice smoothies, and blended fruit like applesauce, are suitable foods to eat. You should avoid hard or chewy foods, as well. Those include crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples, broccoli, or tough meats like steak. You will also want to avoid chewy candy!
Your soft food diet will last depending on how well you are healing plus other considerations like such as your overall health, the condition of your jawbone, and if any additional procedures were necessary before your dental implant procedure, like bone grafting.
Your healing process and soft food diet go hand-in-hand because your new dental implants are in the process of fusing with your jawbone. This is called osseointegration. Osseointegration offers a secure foundation and enables your new dental implant(s) to function like natural teeth. Dental implants replace both the tooth and the tooth root, creating an incredibly strong prosthesis, but to ensure it is successful, it needs time to heal completely. Other dental replacement methods lack this new kind of “root”, which is why dental implants are arguably the best solution for patients who are missing one or several teeth.
While you are healing, your oral surgeon will want to see you periodically to check on your progress. Too much chewing of “harder” foods too early can lead to complications. To avoid any potential problems, you will need to stay strict on your recommended soft food diet. By doing so, you are promoting better healing and the best possible outcome! Once your oral surgeon has determined successful healing, you can resume eating and enjoying the foods you love.
For more information about dental implants or to schedule a consultation, please call Utah Facial & Oral Surgery today and find out if dental implants are the option for you!
