What to Eat After Dental Implant Surgery

For the first 24 hours after dental implant surgery, eat a nutritionally balanced soft diet and drink plenty of fluids. Soups and soft foods that are easy to chew and swallow are ideal. Just as important is what to avoid: no straws, no vigorous rinsing, no smoking and no alcohol, because any of these can disturb the protective blood clot and delay healing. After that first day, keep chewing away from the implant while it heals.

Those are the instructions Dr. Steven W. Haywood, DDS gives implant patients at the Timonium, MD office. This guide turns them into a practical eating plan, with soft food ideas, what to do if you feel queasy, and the extra care needed after a bone graft, a sinus lift or new temporary teeth. For eating once your final teeth are in, read what you can eat with dental implants.

Before your first meal: wait for the numbness to fade

You will probably leave the office with wet gauze over the surgical site. Keep pressure on it for 30 minutes before removing it. While your lips, tongue and cheek are still numb, it is very easy to bite or burn yourself without noticing, so hold off on eating and hot drinks until the feeling has returned. If numbness lasts beyond 12 hours, call the office.

The first 24 hours: soft foods and plenty of fluids

Your body heals best when it is well fed and well hydrated, so a soft diet does not have to be a thin one. Choose foods that need little or no chewing and can be eaten on the side away from the implant.

Soft food ideas

• Soups and broths, allowed to cool so they are warm rather than hot
• Yogurt, cottage cheese and pudding
• Mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes and puréed vegetables
• Scrambled eggs
• Oatmeal or cream of wheat
• Applesauce and ripe mashed banana
• Smoothies and protein shakes, eaten with a spoon
• Well-cooked pasta and soft flaky fish

Drinks

Drink plenty of fluids through the day, straight from the glass. Water is the simplest choice. Skip alcohol entirely during the first 24 hours.

What to avoid, and why it matters

After surgery, a blood clot forms over the site and protects it while healing begins. The practice’s instructions for the first 24 hours are built around keeping that clot in place:

• No straws. The suction can pull the clot loose, so eat smoothies and shakes with a spoon.
• No vigorous rinsing. Swishing hard has the same effect.
• No smoking. Smoking can dislodge the clot and delay healing.
• No alcohol. It can also disturb the clot and slow healing.

It also helps to avoid crunchy, sharp and very chewy foods such as chips, nuts, crusty bread and tough meat, which need hard biting and can leave bits near the site.

If you feel sick to your stomach

Nausea can happen after surgery. If it does, take one ounce of a carbonated drink every hour for 5–6 hours, along with some crackers. Take any prescribed medications as directed, and call the office as soon as possible if an allergic reaction develops.

After the first day: keep chewing away from the implant

From 24 hours after surgery, rinse gently with lukewarm salt water 3–4 times a day. The implant must be left undisturbed in the bone while it heals, so avoid chewing directly on it during the initial healing period and don’t touch it with your tongue or fingers. Chew on the opposite side and keep favoring softer foods in that area.

Healing times vary from case to case. Implants need at least 6–8 weeks of healing before a single tooth is restored, and Dr. Haywood will tell you when your implant is ready to be used. Small bone fragments sometimes work their way out of the site during healing; if one is sharp or painful, call for an appointment, as they are generally easy to remove.

If you also had a bone graft

A bone graft is made of many fine particles, and it is normal to find a few small granules in your mouth for the first several days. To keep as much of the graft in place as possible, don’t rinse vigorously or spit for the first 3 to 5 days, and don’t press on the area with your tongue or fingers. Choosing soft foods that don’t need chewing near the graft helps too.

If you had an upper implant or a sinus lift

After an upper implant or a sinus graft, avoid blowing your nose for 8 days, and sneeze with your mouth open. After a sinus lift, anything that increases pressure in the sinus should be avoided for several weeks, and that includes drinking through straws. Smoking should be avoided for at least two weeks after sinus surgery.

If you went home with new teeth

Some implant plans include extractions and teeth delivered the same day. If you received immediate dentures, restrict your diet to soft and cold foods at first, don’t remove the dentures for the first 24 hours, and don’t rinse vigorously. When you start eating with them, cut food into small bites, choose easy-to-chew foods and chew slowly. Don’t plan to eat your first meal in public; it takes a little practice. With full-arch implant cases, temporary teeth let you chew comfortably while the implants heal, and your instructions will say what they can take.

A simple checklist for your kitchen

• Soups, yogurt, eggs, oatmeal and other soft staples stocked before surgery day
• Plenty of water and a few crackers, plus a carbonated drink in case of nausea
• Spoons for smoothies instead of straws
• Salt on hand for gentle rinses from the day after surgery
• Ice bags in the freezer to help with pain and swelling

For the full list of things to set up in advance, read getting ready for dental implant surgery.

When to call the office

Call the office if you notice an elevated temperature or excessive swelling, if numbness lasts longer than 12 hours, if bleeding continues after pressure with gauze and a moistened tea bag, or if a reaction to your medication develops. Full aftercare instructions are on the post-op instructions page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drink through a straw after implant surgery?

Not during the first 24 hours, because suction can dislodge the protective blood clot. After a sinus lift, straws should be avoided for several weeks.

Can I eat on the other side of my mouth?

Yes, and that is the idea. Avoid chewing directly on the implant during the initial healing period, and chew on the opposite side instead.

Is a smoothie a good choice after implant surgery?

A smoothie is an easy way to get nutrition when chewing is uncomfortable. Eat it with a spoon rather than a straw, especially during the first day.

When can I go back to my normal diet?

It depends on your case. Keep to soft foods for the first 24 hours, then chew away from the implant while it heals, and follow Dr. Haywood’s guidance on when the implant is ready to be restored and used.

Questions about your implant surgery?

Dr. Steven W. Haywood, DDS is a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, and every phase of implant care happens in one Timonium office. Learn more about dental implants in Timonium, request an appointment or call (410) 453-9399. The office is at 108 W Timonium Rd, Ste 200, Timonium, MD 21093.