For people who have lost all their teeth, or those who have to get all their teeth removed, full mouth dental implants can be quite an abrupt change. If you lived without teeth for any length of time, you probably had to make some adjustments to your eating habits, and those changes may be fully ingrained now. You may have even gone months or years without eating anything more challenging than pudding or yogurt due to sensitive gums. The good news is that dental implants can give you not only a new smile, but a whole new way of enjoying food. Keep reading to find out how to re-introduce food after you go from no teeth to full mouth dental implants.

When They're Brand New

When your dental implants are brand new, your dentist will usually recommend that you follow a soft diet. This can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Essentially, you'll probably be following the same diet that you followed when you had no teeth.

Stick to soft foods that require minimal chewing to give your mouth time to heal. Try things like

• Milk shakes
• Ice cream
• Pudding
• Smoothies
• Mashed potatoes
• Tuna salad
• Egg salad
• Well-cooked veggies
• Cottage cheese

This also gives you a chance to become accustomed to the sensation of having teeth in your mouth again before you try to take on any major chewing.

When Your Mouth Has Healed

At the follow-up appointment after your dental implants are installed, your dentist will check to make sure that the healing is complete. If your gums are still tender or sore, the dentist may recommend rinsing regularly with salt water at home, or they may prescribe antibiotics to speed up healing. If your gums are in good shape and your new teeth are properly in place, you can usually resume regular eating habits right away.

Regular eating habits may mean something different to you than it would to people who had a full mouth of natural teeth recently, so be sure to clarify this with your dentist. In general, you can usually start to eat any foods that aren't potentially damaging to your teeth.

Use common sense when it comes to this: Avoid chewing on things like unpopped popcorn kernels and ice, and stay away from gnawing on non-food things like pencils. You can now enjoy meat, veggies, chips, candy, and just about any other food as long as you chew evenly and carefully.

Full mouth dental implants are a major change, but having a shiny new smile and the ability to eat like you did in your youth makes it all worth it. Talk to your dentist about how you can get all the perks of dental implants, or contact a company like Oral Surgery Center.