Eating with Dental Implants: What You Can and Can’t Do

Dental implants and All-on-X implant restorations are fantastic solutions for replacing missing teeth, offering strength and durability similar to natural teeth. However, adjusting to eating with implant prosthetics can take time, and there are a few guidelines to follow to protect your investment. Below, our Springfield, MO implant dentist, Grant Olson, DDS, explains what you can and cannot eat with dental implants.

What You Can Do: Once fully healed, you’ll be able to enjoy virtually any food just as you did before losing your teeth—and most patients who switch from traditional removable dentures report being able to eat a much larger range of foods. Foods that require strong biting forces, like steaks, hamburgers, or crunchy fruits, are fine. Implants are securely anchored to the jawbone, giving you the ability to chew comfortably and without the fear of your dentures slipping or falling out. Over time, you’ll likely forget they aren’t your natural teeth!

What You Should Avoid: In the initial healing phase after implant surgery—typically a few days to a week—stick to soft foods such as yogurt, mashed potatoes, and soups. Avoid hard, sticky, or crunchy items like nuts, chips, and candies, which could interfere with healing or damage the implants. Extremely hot or spicy foods should also be avoided in the early days as they can cause irritation.

Even after healing, it’s wise to be cautious when biting into particularly hard foods like ice or hard candy, which can crack or chip the implant crown or denture prosthetic.

With the right care and attention, dental implants allow you to eat virtually all of your favorite foods without worry. Just be mindful of your healing process and avoid habits that might damage your implants to ensure their long-lasting success. Contact Innovative Dental in Springfield today to schedule an appointment.