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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.

What To Expect Once Your Dental Implants Are In Place

6 June 2022
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

An important part of dental implant preparation is being ready to take care of yourself and your new implants after the procedure ends. Follow these tips so that your recovery will be smooth and restful.

Do Some Food Shopping

You may not feel like braving the grocery store after your procedure, so plan to stock up on things prior to the appointment. In general, you will want to focus on foods that are soft and can be served either cold or at room temperature since very hot foods could feel uncomfortable. Also, your dentist will ask you to avoid hard and crunchy or crispy foods, particularly for the first few weeks. Here are a few suggestions to put on your grocery list:

  • Ice cream, frozen yogurt, and frozen fruit bars.
  • Smoothies, protein shakes, and juice.
  • Puddings, Jell-O, and applesauce.
  • Rice, mashed potatoes, eggs, and macaroni and cheese.
  • Soup, broth, salmon, and other fish items.
  • Drink plenty of water.

Plan on Resting

If you can, take a few days off to recover. If you work outside the home, try to schedule your implant surgery on Friday so you can get a few days' rest before you go back to work. Even though dental implant surgery is outpatient and considered minor surgery, it's still surgery and you will want to take things easy for a while. Listen to your body and don't try to rush back to your usual routine. If you live alone, you should be fine but have a friend or neighbor check in on you every day. If you normally work out, consider cutting back on your usual routine and just do some gentle stretches for a few days before you return to cardio and weights.

Pain Control

Many patients are surprised at how minimal the pain level is after implant surgery. However, everyone experiences pain differently and you should leave your dental implant appointment with instructions on how to cope with any pain. If you take prescription medication for your implant discomfort, don't drive or try to do much but rest. Many times, over-the-counter pain relief like Aleve will take care of any discomfort while also dealing with any minor swelling that may occur. If you notice a bruise on the outside of your cheek, don't panic. It's normal to see some bruising, especially if the implant was placed in an upper gum area.

If you notice any unusual symptoms like fever, vomiting, or you feel extreme pain, call your dentist at once or go to an emergency room immediately. To learn more about dental implants, speak to your dentist.