120 million people in the United States are missing one or more teeth. Missing teeth can take a toll on your self-confidence. It can make it harder to eat and pronounce words too.
Dental implants can fix this issue. But you have to be more careful about what you eat once you get them. Foods not to eat with dental implants are numerous.
But what should you avoid after dental implant surgery? Learn more about it below.
1. Ice
Dental implants are strong, but they’re not invincible. If you have a habit of chewing on ice, stop right away. Ice is a very hard substance that can damage your dental implants.
This is something you don’t want to deal with during dental implant recovery. The coldness of the ice can also irritate your new implant. Ice can crack your real teeth too, leading to more dental issues.
2. Nuts
Peanuts are similar to ice in that they are very hard. They can also damage your dental implants. Hard nuts like hazelnuts or peanuts are especially bad.
If you must eat them, eat them carefully. Take small and gentle bites. This will reduce the risk of damage to your implant.
3. Popcorn
Popcorn has the bad habit of crawling behind dental implants. This can interfere with the process of recovering after dental implant surgery. Popcorn can also scrape against your gums and irritate them.
You might accidentally bite into an unpopped kernel too. This could seriously damage your dental implant if you’re not paying attention.
4. Red Wine
Red wine can stain your dental implants. This is because red wine has microscopic pigmented particles that like to stick to your teeth. These particles can permanently stain your implants and turn them yellow.
Does this mean you have to give up wine? Not at all. Just make sure you brush your teeth after drinking it.
5. Hard Candy
Hard candy has the same problem as ice. It risks cracking your dental implants. It may crack your real teeth too.
Some hard candy is sticky too. This will further damage your implants. If you must eat hard candy, suck on it so it turns into a softer substance.
6. Apples
Don’t eat apples the old-fashioned way. Cut them into small, bite-sized pieces instead. Eating an apple out of your hand can damage your implants.
Pieces of apple skin may get stuck behind your implants too.
7. Carbonated Drinks
Carbonated drinks are acidic. They can eat away at your dental implants.
They may stain the implants too. Brush your teeth afterward if you must drink this type of beverage.
8. Carrots
Raw carrots are very hard. It is best to cook or steam them before eating them.
This will reduce the chance that they will damage your implants.
9. Steaks
Steaks are very tough. You should not eat them while you’re recovering.
After you’ve healed, you can resume eating steaks if you chew them carefully.
Foods Not to Eat with Dental Implants
There are many foods not to eat with dental implants. Most of them are hard foods that could break your implants.
If you avoid them, your implants should remain in good shape. To learn more about implants, look into our dental services.
