Will dental implants affect my eating?

Dental implants are a great long-term investment that can improve self-confidence in your teeth and your eating habits. They are implanted into your jawbone, creating stability while you eat and restoring the appearance, function, and comfort of natural teeth. They can also be shaped and shaded to blend with the rest of your teeth.

Positive effects on eating

Dental implants often positively affect your ability to chew and digest food. In most cases, dental implants make it easier to chew food than it would be with missing teeth or poorly fitting dentures. Dental implants also prevent food particles from getting stuck as they might under dentures. 

Implants may improve the eating experience by allowing access to the tastebuds at the roof of your mouth where some dentures might cover them. They can also aid in the digestive process because they can help you to chew properly.

Possible negative effects on eating

Some people find it harder to chew with dental implants. Dental implants may also impact the nerves in the jaw that help with tasting food, and as a result, some foods may taste different after receiving implants. 

Healing from dental implants

When you are completely healed from your procedure, you should be able to go on eating as normal, making no significant changes to your existing diet.

However, as you are recovering from your dental implant procedure, you will want to stick to eating soft foods that aren’t sticky so your jaw and mouth can heal properly. While you are healing, stay away from:

• Hard foods: carrots, nuts, hard candy

• Crunchy foods: chips, popcorn

• Sticky foods: licorice, caramel, peanut butter

• Hot foods: coffee, tea, soup

• Spicy foods: hot peppers, sauces

If you’re considering dental implants and have questions about how they might affect your eating habits, contact Midland Dental to schedule a consultation!