Your Dental Implants: Food Textures To Limit And Avoid

You know that the foods you eat have the potential to harm your oral health and you may even have a bit of an advanced understanding of the way certain choices promote issues like decay, gingivitis, and more. While you should always put all of your knowledge to full use to protect your smile, today, our Livonia, MI team would like to get a bit more specific as we explore the textures you should always be very careful with (or avoid altogether) when your goal is to protect your dental implants and restorations!

Super Chewy

Remember that many super chewy foods are the types that will overwork your jaw joints (which isn’t any good!). They’re also the types of foods that can wrap around your teeth, that may yank on teeth, and that aren’t really ideal for protecting your dental implants or oral health in general. When we say chewy, we’re talking about stuff like caramels, taffy, and anything that requires a lot of force to break down until you can swallow it. Make your best judgment and err on the side of smile protection.

Super Sticky

Sticky foods? They often overlap with chewy foods and can also cause some problems for natural teeth and restorations supported by dental implants, as well. Again, these tend to stick to your teeth. If they contain sugar, you’re leaving your smile coated with this ingredient, with which bacteria have a field day! You don’t want foods that adhere and then pull as you eat. You also don’t want to feed the bacteria in your mouth in such a way, as it promotes gum problems that aren’t good news for your implants!

Very Tough

We remind you that though it may seem counterintuitive, some tough foods pose just as much a threat to your dental implants and restorations as anything else!

Extremely Hard

Don’t want to break a tooth? Damage your dental implant? Be careful when food seems too hard to chew (just choose something else instead).

Too Crunchy

Have you ever thought twice about tossing a handful of extremely crunchy, clustery granola and nuts into your mouth? As you know, such food can be quite sharp with jagged ends and can be tough to crunch through, too! Remember, if you are about to take a bite of something that seems it could erode, scrape, chip, or break a tooth, then you may want to avoid it. This is the type of texture that can cause damage to the restorations supported by dental implants, which just isn’t something you want!

Consider Suggestions For Implant Protection

Remember to consider the details and advice we offer you in terms of protecting your dental implants and restorations! Let us know if you have any questions or concerns, so you know just how to safeguard them! James Stewart, DDS, and our team serve patients from Livonia, MI and the surrounding communities. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at (734) 425-4400.