What can you eat in the first hours after implant surgery?
Because the implant is usually placed under local anaesthetic, your lip, tongue and cheek stay numb for a few hours afterwards. University College London Hospitals (UCLH) says the anaesthetic should wear off in 2 to 6 hours and advises being careful not to bite your lip or tongue. Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises avoiding hot drinks and hot food until normal sensation has returned to your mouth and lips, and the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) advises not eating or drinking anything in the first hour after surgery.
For the first hours these points help:
- After the first hour you can drink water and room-temperature drinks in small sips; URMC recommends drinking plenty of liquids.
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals warns that eating while the area is still numb can make you chew your lip or tongue without noticing.
- Your first meal after the anaesthetic should be soft and lukewarm or cool.
Have yoghurt, soup and mashed potato ready before the procedure. What happens on the day of surgery itself is described in our guide to how dental implant surgery is done.
Which foods suit the first days?
In the first days the aim is to eat enough without disturbing the wound. Mayo Clinic notes that you may need to eat soft foods while the surgical site heals; Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust says you should be able to eat normally after treatment, but that your dentist might recommend a diet of soft foods. The difference comes down to the extent of the surgery: how soft and for how long is something your dentist tells you.
As soft, cool foods for the first two weeks, URMC lists for example:
- yoghurt and cottage cheese
- soup broth, lukewarm rather than hot
- well-cooked pasta and eggs
- blended foods and mashed potato or vegetables
- pudding, custard and other spoonable foods
- bananas and apple sauce
- ice cream
The same instructions recommend drinking lots of liquids.
What applies to hot and cold?
Temperature is one of the most important points in the first days:
- URMC advises avoiding excessively hot liquids and foods for the first 24 hours.
- According to Hull University Teaching Hospitals, hot drinks on the day of treatment can cause bleeding, and too hot a drink can burn a numb mouth.
- Most people find cool and cold foods more comfortable in the first days.
The same applies from outside: Gloucestershire Hospitals advises against applying any heat to the side of your face. URMC recommends ice in a damp towel against the cheek for the first 24 to 48 hours, 20 minutes on and 40 minutes off, rather than ice directly on the skin.
Which side should you chew on, and can you use a straw?
In the first days, chew on the side that was not operated on as far as possible. If both sides were treated, small bites and spoonable foods help.
Hard and crumbly foods cause most of the problems in this period:
- URMC advises avoiding hard, crispy foods such as chips, hard pretzels and popcorn for two weeks.
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals warns that hard and sharp foods such as nuts and crisps can cause bleeding and discomfort.
Be careful with straws too: URMC says not to use them in the first week after surgery, because the suction can dislodge the protective blood clot.
How long should you avoid alcohol, coffee and cigarettes?
On alcohol the sources broadly agree. Guy’s and St Thomas’ says no alcohol for 24 hours after treatment, Hull University Teaching Hospitals advises avoiding hot drinks and alcohol on the day of treatment because they can cause bleeding, and Gloucestershire Hospitals recommends avoiding alcohol and smoking for at least 24 hours and ideally until healing is complete.
For smoking the periods are longer: Hull University Teaching Hospitals suggests not smoking for a minimum of 5 days, URMC for the first 7 days. Guy’s and St Thomas’ recommends trying to stop before treatment and in the long term; why is explained in our guide to smoking and dental implants.
If you have been prescribed medication, also ask whether alcohol is compatible with it.
What does this mean for your days in Sapanca and the flight home?
After the procedure you return to the bungalows of our partner accommodation in Sapanca; on treatment days we take you between the accommodation and the clinic. For the first days there, the same applies as at home: soft, lukewarm or cool food, no alcohol and no hot drinks in the first 24 hours. If you have questions about eating or something does not feel right, message us on WhatsApp at +90 532 363 49 54; we reply in English.
A few practical points for the flight home:
- Check with your dentist before booking when you can fly; the guidance on this is in our guide to the first week after dental implants.
- Take your own soft snacks for the flight, for example yoghurt bought after security or bananas, in case the meal on board is hard or crusty, and drink plenty of water.
- Avoid alcohol on board while the wound is healing and while you are taking medication.
- Have hot drinks on board only once feeling in your mouth has fully returned and the wound no longer reacts to warmth.
Whether your implant shows up at airport security is covered in our guide to dental implants, MRI scans and airport security.
What should you watch until the final teeth are fitted?
After the first weeks most people largely return to their usual diet. The implant, however, bonds with the bone over months: the Cochrane review on loading times describes implants being left unloaded for three to eight months in the conventional approach, and Cleveland Clinic gives three to nine months for the bone to fuse to the implant. For travellers this period falls in the months between the two trips.
- Do not load the implant: no crunching ice, cracking nut shells or hard sweets, especially on the implant side.
- Mind your temporary tooth: if you wear one, ask what you can bite with it; more in our guide to a temporary tooth during implant healing.
- Wear a denture only as instructed: when and how you put a removable denture back in is decided by your dentist.
- Care for your mouth after eating: Gloucestershire Hospitals recommends gentle warm salt-water rinses after meals once the first 24 hours have passed; before that, do not rinse.
When should you get in touch?
Slight swelling, tenderness and a little blood in your saliva are part of healing. Mayo Clinic advises contacting your surgeon if swelling, soreness or any other problem gets worse in the days after surgery. Also get in touch if you have:
- bleeding that does not stop despite 20 to 30 minutes of pressure on a clean cloth
- hard, hot swelling
- fever, a bad taste or discharge from the wound
- pain that stops you eating and drinking
- an implant or temporary tooth that moves
According to Guy’s and St Thomas’, bleeding that does not stop belongs in the nearest emergency department; the same applies to difficulty breathing or swallowing. If you are already back home, send us photos on WhatsApp at the same time so we can follow how things develop.
How do we support you after implant surgery at Rönesans?
Our clinic has a defined follow-up process after implants, and you know your treating dentist from the start. During the healing period a temporary tooth is fitted depending on the case; ask what you can eat with it straight after it is fitted. Between trips you can reach us on WhatsApp at +90 532 363 49 54 and by phone on +90 264 606 09 43; during opening hours we reply to messages in English within 15 minutes. After treatment you receive an implant card with the details of your implants. How follow-up is organised once you are home is on our aftercare and follow-up page.