How Long After Dental Implants Can I Eat Normally?

Dental implants from A Smile Spa are the best way to permanently restore your smile. Once you get your new smile from Dr. Zita Henry, you can restore your oral health, smile proudly, and eat all of your favorite foods once again.

But what about during your treatment? Wondering how long it will be until you can eat normally after you get dental implants in Fayetteville? Let’s discuss the typical recovery time, what you can expect as you heal, and what foods we recommend you eat during each stage of recovery.

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The Typical Recovery Time Is Between 4-8 Weeks

So, when can you eat normally after getting dental implants? Well, there’s not really any single answer that applies to everyone. Recovery times vary on how many implants you get, implant location, the type of dental implant procedure you get (standard, implant-supported bridges, All-On-4, etc.), and a variety of other factors.

If you get just one dental implant, your mouth will likely be healed enough to resume your normal diet and eat hard, tough, or crunchy foods within 3-4 weeks. That’s because your mouth can recover pretty quickly from getting just one implant.

Multiple implants make things a bit more complicated. For example, if you’re wondering how long after All-On-4 dental implants you’ll be able to eat normally, the recovery time is at least 6-8 weeks, and it may be up to 3-4 months for some patients.

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Understanding The Healing Timeline for Dental Implants

Each patient's timeline for healing from dental implants varies. Below, we’ve put together a general overview of what to expect during each step of the healing process.

• 24-72 hours – This is when you’ll experience the most bleeding and discomfort, and your implant site will be the most delicate. You’ll need to take steps to protect it such as avoiding exercise, not brushing near the implant, and not spitting or using a straw, since this could dislodge the blood clot that forms around the implant site.

• 3-7 days – During this period, you may still experience some pain and swelling. However, your implant site will start to feel significantly better. You should have no significant bleeding near the implant site, and you can get back to things like exercising. You should still brush very gently and carefully near your implant, though.

• 1-2 weeks – After a week, you may still feel some tenderness near your implant site, but it should no longer be significant, and should fade almost completely after two weeks. You can brush your teeth and your dental implant normally.  

• 2-4 weeks—While it will take 3-6 months for your new implants to fully bond with your jawbone, the actual implant incision should be completely healed within 2-4 weeks. By now, you shouldn't feel any discomfort, and your new implants will not interfere with your normal diet or lifestyle.

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What To Eat After Dental Implant Surgery – Our Recommendations

Now that you know more about what to expect as you recover from implants, you may be wondering what you should eat at every stage. Let’s get into the details!

24-72 Hours Post-Surgery – Stick to Liquids & Pureed Foods

Choosing foods that require no chewing will reduce pain and discomfort. For the first couple of days after implant surgery, we recommend foods like:

• Yogurt

• Applesauce

• Smoothies

• Milkshakes

• Protein shakes

• Broth

• Pureed soup

• Hummus

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3-7 Days Post-Surgery – Adding Softer Food to Your Diet

Once a few days have passed, you should be able to expand your diet to include foods that require a little bit more chewing but won’t irritate your implant site:

• Soft scrambled eggs

• Pasta

• Mashed potatoes

• Rice

• Oatmeal

• Cottage cheese

• Avocado

• Soft bread

• Pancakes and waffles

1-2 Weeks Post-Surgery – Firming Things Up

After a week or two, you should be able to add some even firmer foods to your diet, including things like:

• Tender fish (salmon, white fish)

• Grilled chicken

• Ground meat

• Steamed and boiled vegetables

• Chunky soups and stews

4+ Weeks Post-Surgery – Get Back to Your Normal Diet

After four weeks, your implant should be fully healed. As long as Dr. Henry says it’s okay, this means you can go back to your normal diet. You can enjoy steak and tougher cuts of meat, crusty bread, raw fruits and vegetables, and all of your other favorite foods once again.

Can You Eat Hard Food with Dental Implants?

Yes! However, it’s best to wait until your implants are fully healed and until you’ve gotten your final dental implant restoration such as a crown, bridge, or set of implant-supported dentures. This usually means you’ll have to wait at least 3-6 months to resume eating foods like nuts, hard candy, and other very hard foods.

However, once your new teeth are in place, you’ll be able to eat whatever you want. Your implants are anchored strongly into your jawbone, so you shouldn’t have any issues eating tough, chewy, and hard foods.  

Interested In Dental Implants? Come To A Smile Spa for a Consultation!

It takes a little while to recover from getting dental implants, and you’ll need to avoid certain foods and follow special recovery instructions to make sure everything goes well as you heal. But the process is worth it! Once you get your implants, you’ll be able to permanently restore your missing teeth.

Are implants right for you? Have more questions about what to expect during your treatment? Dr. Zita Henry and the team at A Smile Spa are here to help. Call now or get in touch online to book a consultation and find out if you’re a good candidate for dental implants in Fayetteville.

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