Quick Answer
When can I eat after an implant?
Once the anesthesia has worn off, usually 2–3 hours after surgery, start with soft, lukewarm food and take your medication after that meal. For the first 3 days after surgery, when you are most uncomfortable, the guideline is food that needs no chewing, such as porridge or tofu, and for some implants where an immediate fixed temporary tooth is not placed, we advise chewing while avoiding the surgical site for about the first 6 weeks. When implants are placed on both sides or whole-mouth implants are done, we give separate instructions on how to eat. On the day of surgery, avoid hot food, straws, alcohol, and smoking; the implant failure rate in smokers is reported to be about twice that of non-smokers (6.4% vs. 3.2%).
What can I eat at each stage after implant surgery?
On the day of surgery, the anesthesia is still present and you could bite your cheek, so start with porridge, lukewarm soup, or yogurt. Until day 3, avoid hot, spicy, or hard foods and foods like sesame seeds and nuts that get stuck in the wound. After the stitches are removed at 1–2 weeks, you can return to regular meals, but for sites where a temporary tooth was not placed right away, chew while avoiding the surgical site for about 6 weeks. For the first two days, also avoid straws and vigorous gargling.
How does Yeonhap Dental Clinic guide eating timing?
On the day of implant surgery, Yeonhap Dental Clinic advises a light meal once the anesthesia has worn off and taking your medication right away. After 1 week, we check your gums and widen what you can eat. For implants in teeth where an immediate fixed temporary tooth is not placed, we advise eating while avoiding the surgical site for a month and a half (about 6 weeks), which is important for initial osseointegration; when implants are placed on both sides or whole-mouth implants are done, we give separate instructions on how to eat.
When can I drink alcohol and smoke after implant surgery?
Yeonhap Dental Clinic advises no alcohol for at least 1 week after surgery, and if that is difficult, explains that you should greatly reduce your drinking. Do not drink alcohol while taking prescribed medication. The implant failure rate in smokers has been reported at about twice that of non-smokers (6.4% vs. 3.2%). Yeonhap Dental Clinic advises not smoking for the first month after surgery, and if quitting is difficult, explains that you should at least greatly reduce how much you smoke.
When can I have coffee, hot food, or spicy food after implant surgery?
Avoid hot food and coffee on the day of surgery and the next day. Heat increases bleeding and swelling, and under anesthesia you can burn your palate. Cooled coffee is fine from the next day; avoid straws for two days, spicy and salty food for three days, and sesame seeds and nuts until the stitches are removed at 1–2 weeks.
How should I eat after the implant prosthesis (crown) is placed?
With temporary teeth, the range of foods you can eat depends on the type and how firmly they are fixed, so start with soft foods within the range you were given. For the first 1–2 weeks after the final prosthesis, get used to the chewing sensation with soft foods. Implants have no ligament to cushion force, so chewing hard things forcefully during this time can loosen the screw or crack the prosthesis. If the prosthesis is temporarily cemented, avoid gum, caramel, and rice cakes; afterward as well, avoid ice, dried squid, and chewing on one side only, and have a check-up every 6 months.
References
Chrcanovic BR, Albrektsson T, Wennerberg A. Smoking and dental implants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Dent. 2015. Esposito M, et al. Interventions for replacing missing teeth: different times for loading dental implants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013.
Related Implant Consultation Pages
Before Your Visit
This article is general guidance for implant consultations. Whether treatment is possible and the actual cost may change after an oral examination and 3D CBCT diagnosis. If you have discomfort such as pain, swelling, or looseness, please come in for a consultation so we can check.