Can I Eat Steak If I Have Dental Implants? YES!
Dental implants can help you enjoy your favorite foods again.
For those who have missing teeth, it can be hard to enjoy some of your favorite foods. Missing teeth can affect your bite and how you chew, making it difficult to enjoy some of your favorite foods. However, with dental implants, you’ll be able to enjoy all the joys of eating once again. At Compass Dental Group in Maryville, Missouri, we offer restorative dentistry options, like dental implants, which will get you back to enjoying all of your favorite foods once again.
Why Dental Implants Function Like Natural Teeth
If you are missing teeth, you know how hard it can be to chew your favorite foods. Traditional dentures don’t always provide the strength and support that is needed to chew and bite into certain foods. That is where dental implants come in. Dental implants are anchored into the jawbone, giving them support and strength that is needed for chewing. Being attached to the jawbone provides the stability that is needed to enjoy your favorite foods again when you bite down, including steak and corn on the cob.
Heal First, Then Dig In
Because dental implants require healing time, you won’t be able to enjoy all of your favorite foods immediately. There is a process called osseointegration, where the dental implant has to heal and fuse with the jawbone. This process can take three to six months for your gums and jaw to heal.
During this time, it is very important to adhere to the instructions your dentist gives you, which may include eating soft, easy-to-chew food for the first few weeks after getting your dental implants. If you try to eat tough foods before your gums and jawbone are healed, you can risk your dental implants rejecting.
During the healing process, stick to soft foods and liquids, like soups, smoothies, applesauce, and mashed potatoes. As your implants heal, you’ll be able to add in semi-soft food, like pasta and cooked vegetables. While you might want to dive into a steak or bite into an apple, it’s important to wait for the okay from your dentist at Compass Dental Group so that you don’t disturb the healing process.
Foods You Can Enjoy With Confidence
Once the osseointegration process is complete, which is where the jawbone fuses with the dental implant, you’ll be able to slowly introduce all of your favorite foods back into your diet. It’s important to wait until your jawbone is completely healed before you try to eat any hard-to-chew or sticky foods, like nuts, meat, and candy. You will want to ease into these foods slowly once your Compass Dental Group dentist gives you the signal.
After starting off with soft foods and liquids for the first week or two after your dental implant surgery, your dentist may give you the okay to try semi-soft foods, like cooked vegetables and pasta. You might be able to try other foods, as long as you cut them into small pieces, making them easier to chew.
However, once your dental implants have healed, you’ll be able to enjoy all of your favorite foods without limitations. That includes apples, crunchy vegetables, steak, and other meats, as well as nuts and hard candy. Once your implants have healed, they will feel like your natural teeth since they are anchored into your jawbone like natural teeth would be. This means you’ll be able to enjoy all of your favorite foods once again and do so comfortably.
Ongoing Care to Keep Things Comfortable
One thing you’ll need to remember during the healing process, as well as after, is that your oral health care routine needs to be on point. This includes brushing your teeth at least twice a day for a minimum of two minutes each time, as well flossing daily. You will also want to keep up with routine dental checkups to make sure your implants are healing and staying put. Dental implants give you a second chance at having a full mouth of functioning teeth, so it is important to develop, and stick to, a good oral health routine.
Choose Compass Dental Group.
If you have missing teeth and want to enjoy your smile again, as well as your favorite foods, contact Compass Dental Group in Maryville, MO, to learn more about dental implants and to see if you are a good candidate for them. Our professional and caring dental staff always want to help our patients enjoy and get the most out of their smile. If you are interested in dental implants, call us today to schedule a consultation.
