Many oral healthcare providers consider dental implants the ideal way to rebuild smiles after tooth loss because of their unique placement in your jawbone. However, those who have lost most or all of their natural teeth require more than one replacement tooth.
If you need to rebuild your entire arch, you might benefit from All-on-4 implants, which are surgically placed in your jawbone for added strength and stability. With that said, you must eat carefully after your procedure to avoid harming them. Continue reading to learn more about post-operative recommendations that can help protect your smile!
What is All-on-4 Surgery?
Dental implants are the only replacement teeth that include a support rod that’s embedded directly into your jaw. But if you’ve lost an entire row of teeth (or two), it’s not usually feasible to place a single pole for each missing tooth.
In these cases, your provider might recommend All-on-4 surgery. This involves strategically placing four dental implants in your arch to anchor customized dentures, which are typically not intended to be removed once they’re in place. As a result, they are much less likely than standard dentures to become destabilized or dislodged, which can boost your confidence in your appearance and abilities.
What Foods are Safe to Eat After My Procedure?
After your procedure, it’s essential that you follow your provider’s recovery instructions, which typically include sticking to soft foods for a while until your mouth has healed. For instance, they will likely recommend a liquid diet for about a week or two, which gives your jawbone time to mend without extensive biting or chewing. Popular options include water, coconut water, milk, yogurt drinks, and blended smoothies.
However, keep in mind that anything too hot may damage or dislodge the blood clots needed for healing, so keep your meals at room temperature or cooler. Also, avoid straws, as the suction force may dislodge blood clots.
How Long Must I Wait to Eat More Solid Foods?
Everyone’s situation is unique, but many patients are able to resume eating soft foods about two weeks after their All-on-4 procedure. It’s often recommended to slowly start incorporating more solid options, like eggs, applesauce, and yogurt at first. Then, once your jawbone fuses with your implants through a process called osseointegration, you can resume eating normally because your new teeth are more firmly rooted in place.
Following your oral surgeon’s post-operative instructions, including any dietary restrictions, can help you heal as quickly as possible while avoiding potential complications after placing All-on-4 implant dentures!
About the Practice
Patients at Northern Virginia Oral, Maxillofacial, & Implant Surgery benefit from a team of experts eager to help them build and maintain happy, healthy smiles. Our providers share decades of combined experience and collaborate to provide a variety of complex and surgical procedures, including All-on-4 implants, to handle the most severe oral issues. They combine advanced technology and clinical knowledge with a compassionate and caring approach to help put patients at ease while delivering accurate treatment results intended to last. You can request an appointment on the website or by calling one of their conveniently located offices near you!