Why no Dairy after Dental Implants?

According to research, more than 120 million American adults are missing one or more teeth, and 36 million of those are completely edentulous. Tooth loss may be due to genetics, lack of access to quality dental care, improper dental hygiene habits, injury/trauma, and more. Missing teeth can cause a variety of oral and overall health issues including difficulty chewing, which can lead to malnutrition.

The good news is, Dental Arts of Florida offers tooth replacement options, such as dental implants that can restore your smile. However, in order to ensure a smooth recovery, you'll want to make sure that you follow these recommendations:

• Eat regularly
• Add protein supplementation
• Stick to an appropriate post-implant diet
• If you are diabetic, check glucose levels frequently 

In this article, we'll explain the best foods for implant recovery as well as those you should avoid- especially dairy.

For the first 24 hours after surgery, you can consume the following:

• Water
• Cold soups
• Sugar-free juices
• Smoothies/protein shakes
• Applesauce
• Cold/lukewarm bone broth
• Oatmeal
• Greek yogurt
• Steamed veggies
• Soft breads
• Oatmeal
• Pasta

After 24 hours, you can begin to introduce soft foods into your diet.

Over the next few months, osseointegration will occur. This is the process of the jawbone healing around and fusing with the dental implant. Depending on your situation, the dentist may have placed a temporary prosthesis, which is not designed to chew foods that are hard or crunchy.

During this time, it's important to choose foods that are high in protein, as they promote faster healing. Your body uses protein to create collagen, which is a critical component in healing your jaw tissue.

Over the next few months, you'll want to stick to the following foods:

• Eggs/omelets
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Potatoes
• Fish
• Chicken
• Ground beef
• Soft fruits (peaches, bananas, etc)

In order to avoid damaging your dental implants, you'll want to avoid the following foods during your recovery:

• Dairy products
• Crunchy foods
• Sticky foods
• Spicy foods
• Tough foods
• Acidic foods

For the first few weeks, you'll want to avoid hot foods/beverages such as hot soups and hot tea/coffee. However, you can gradually introduce these back into your diet after a few weeks.

While it is true that dairy products contain vitamins and minerals that are crucial in recovery, it's important to avoid these foods for the first few days following dental implant surgery.

Dairy products contain saturated fats, which have been proven to trigger an inflammatory response in oral tissues. This inflammation can disrupt the healing process.

In addition, dairy products have also been proven to trigger stomach upset and bloating, especially in patients who are lactose intolerant. These side effects alone are unpleasant, but this may also trigger vomiting, which introduces stomach acid into the mouth. The stomach acid can compromise the dental implants, ultimately leading to implant failure.

If you are missing one or more teeth, it's important to consider your tooth replacement options. If you don't, you could be facing a variety of oral and overall health issues. The team at Dental Arts of Florida can help you learn more about your options, including dental implants.

Dental implants are a popular tooth replacement option because they look, feel, and function more like natural teeth. However, they are also one of the most expensive options and, unfortunately, since there are cheaper options, many insurance providers will not cover this tooth replacement option. Our office staff will work with your provider to determine your coverage. We will be happy to explain our financing options if you do not have insurance or your provider does not cover implants.

Schedule your consultation at Dental Arts of Florida today. We are located on Gate Parkway in Jacksonville. We are open 7 days a week, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM- however, Wednesdays are by appointment only.