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Don't Let Dieting Impact Your Oral Health

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Don't Let Dieting Impact Your Oral Health

Like many people who need to lose a few pounds, I try diet after diet in an attempt to find one that finally works for me. I learned the hard way that I need to make sure any diet will not harm my teeth, even if it does help me lose a few pounds. I learned this lesson when following a grapefruit diet. There are many versions of this, but the version I tried had me eat a grapefruit alone several times each day. It was supposed to suppress my appetite. I helped keep me from munching on unhealthy snacks, but the acid in the fruit took a toll on my tooth enamel and I quickly started getting lots of cavities. I created this blog to remind people that change up their diets often to make sure the foods they are eating are not harming their teeth.

Dental Implant Recovery Tips

28 June 2019
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

Dental implants are successful most of the time; in fact, over 90% of the time. However, you have to play your part to ensure your implant heals in time and becomes part of the success statistics. The following are some of the recovery tips you need to follow religiously.

Don't Smoke

Dental implant services involve cutting and drilling through your natural tissues. The bruised tissues need time to heal. Unfortunately, the smoke and chemicals in tobacco interfere with blood flow to the implant site. This hampers the body's ability to heal, so smoking prolongs your healing time. Avoid smoking, at least in the days leading up to and following your implant treatment.

Eat Soft Foods

You should not disturb the implant as it heals, especially on the first few days after insertion. Hard foods or chewy foods can create unwanted disturbances and interfere with the stability of the implant. Thus, stick to soft foods that won't cause any harm. You can even favor the side of your cheek with the implant during this period.

Brush And Floss Gently

It's not just eating that can disturb the implanted tooth; even your daily oral hygiene care can have a similar effect. At the same time, you need a high level of dental hygiene when you get a dental implant. Poor dental hygiene can lead to dental ailments that might affect the implant's healing. The best compromise is to use a soft-bristled toothbrush and be gentle around the implant. 

Don't Use Straws

Using a straw after a dental procedure, say a tooth extraction or a dental implant, is not advisable. If you use a straw, the sucking or spitting action can dislodge blood clots at the implant site. Unfortunately, you need the clot to stop the bleeding and encourage the injured tissues to heal.

Avoid Physical Activities

Strenuous physical activities are also not advisable in the first few days after your dental implant. Don't go running or lift heavy things. Engaging in physical exercise increases blood flow, interferes with clotting, and increases swelling. All these physical activities affect the rate of healing, so avoid them after your surgery and ease your way back to your physical lifestyle bit by bit when the site starts to heal.

Follow Dentist's Advice

Your dentist will give you specific instructions on how to take care of your implant to promote healing. Follow the dentist's advice to the letter and know when to go back to the dentist if complications arise.