Dental Implants And Your Diet

Losing your teeth or wearing dentures can affect what you are able to eat, but what about dental implants?

It is well known that if we eat too much sugary foods and also don’t look after our teeth with the correct cleaning, there is every chance that we will end up losing a few teeth. Even some of the remaining teeth are likely to be in poor health too and this can limit what we are able to eat effectively. Harder foods and those with ‘crunch’ to them might be avoided for fear of further damage.

A lot of people who lose teeth will have dentures to replace them. This can improve the eating experience but often brings its own problems with them having a tendency to work loose and move in the mouth. Wearers may opt not to eat steak for example and eat something softer, such as fish. While softer foods may be equally tasty, it is better to have as wide a choice of foods as possible, so do dental implants prove to be the answer for patients of Blue Sky Dental?

Benefits of implants

As our Chelmsford patients who have implants will be aware, teeth implants, once placed offer a more secure option than dentures. This is because the implant is placed into the jawbone and allowed to fuse together with it; in effect becoming an artificial tooth root which a crown is then attached too. This provides for better strength and ability and enables you to eat a much wider variety of foods in ease and comfort.

Eating directly following treatment

Once an implant is placed into the bone, a period of approximately three months is needed for bone and implant to fuse together. It is very important during this stage not to put the implant under stress and this will affect what and how you eat during this period.

Initially, you will need to avoid anything but liquid foods, such as soups. This is usually a relatively short period though and soon you will be able to eat softer foods such as mashed potatoes etc. As the healing progresses, you will be able to work your way up to harder foods. It is very important though that you don’t rush this process and you should always eat on the ‘safer’ side to avoid any potential harm to your dental implants.

Once your implant is fully fused, you can eat whatever you want; however, there are a few things that you should bear in mind – our local dentist will advise accordingly.

Periodontal disease

Although dental implants can become damaged through a blow to the face, such as from a fall, the biggest reason for a failed implant is where periodontitis or peri-implantitis occur. Both of these are forms of gum disease and this is an area that you should pay special attention to. While the crown of your implant is artificial and won’t decay, gum disease can still occur if you don’t look after your gum health properly.

High sugar foods

Any food that is high in sugar is not only a threat to natural tooth enamel but your gums too. The bacteria that contribute to gum disease feed off sugars so eating a lot of sugar will increase your risk of gum disease. In the early stages, this largely affects just the gums and produces symptoms such as soreness and bad breath. If you notice any gum issues you should always contact your dentist as soon as possible to prevent it becoming more serious.

If this later stage does occur, it not only affects the gums but the bone into which the tooth implant has been placed. As the bone starts to deteriorate, so does its hold on the implant. Gradually, the implant will start to become loose and may well fail altogether. Although this is a worse case scenario, it does happen and is really unnecessary as preventing gum disease is not hard to do. To ensure your gums remain healthy, you should make sure to brush them gently (and not just your teeth) and use floss too. Finally, we strongly recommend that you see the hygienist at our Chelmsford practice every six months for a professional clean. Please note that this applies to all patients and not just those who have dental implants.

Vitamins and minerals

Both calcium and vitamin D are important for strong bone health and this applies to the jawbone as much as anywhere in the body. If you eat plenty of dairy products, you should be getting sufficient calcium although vegans will need to take additional care. Vitamin D can be more difficult to get in this country as much of it comes from exposure to sunlight, something we often lack in the UK. Make sure that you eat foods such as fatty fish, eggs and fortified foods. You may wish to discuss this with your GP who may also recommend that you take a supplement as well.

With just a little care and patience after your implant placement, you should have a replacement tooth that is strong and offers stability too, allowing you to eat whatever you want. As with oral health in general, it is best to keep sugar consumption at a sensible level. If you do this and clean your teeth and around the implant well, and see the hygienist, there is every chance that you could have your implant for twenty years, and very possibly even more.

If you would like to discover more about teeth implants and whether they are for you, why not call Blue Sky Dental on 01245 211070 to arrange a free non clinical consultation?