Can I Eat Apple After a Dental Implant? When and How to Do It Safely

If you’ve recently had a dental implant, you might have many questions that can come to your mind once you leave dental office. One of the most common questions we can hear from our patients is, – Can I eat apple after a dental implant – and yes, apples are one of the most common fruits we have on our tables. As part of daily diet, we include it into our diet in different ways.

Dental implants are unique solution in replacing teeth that you are missing. It was not always possible to restore your smile, aesthetic and function in this way. Only in the last couple of decades it was possible to use implants as alternatives to full dentures, and there are many benefits that individuals have with solution like this one.

Eating an apple might look like an easy step, however, in this case it is necessary to be aware of how and when to reintroduce apples to your diet. Apples are crunchy and pretty much firm food that require continuous chewing to be properly digested. In the recovery period after implant surgery, this type of food require special attention because of texture, and there are other choices on menu such as salads, cakes, muffins or other desserts you want to know how to include into post-implant diet.

It might sounds simple, but texture, temperature, pH of the food, various ingredients make it favorable or unfavorable in initial phase of healing.

In this article, we will tell something more about if it is okay to eat an apple right after dental implant procedure or not. Additionally, we will discuss best practices on how to choose the best ways to go back to eating firm fruits like apples.

So, let’s continue and say something more about when and how can you eat apple after a dental implant procedure, while maintaining proper healing and recovery.

Can I Eat Apple After a Dental Implant? Here’s What You Need to Know

If you just arrived home after implant procedure, and you’re asking yourself – Can I eat an apple after a dental implant – the short answer would be ”No, and it is better to wait”. Eating firm, solid foods like apples after dental implant surgery might cause certain discomfort. With that being said, it is good to wait for a couple of weeks before going back to foods like apples.

Dental implants are the unique solution when individuals decide to replace their missing teeth. However, in the first couple of days time plays a key role when you should avoid certain foods that can cause pressure to your implant sites. This first healing phase is known as ”osseointegration”, the process when implant fuses with the surrounding bone. Eating anything harder than soft mashed potatoes and bananas can cause unnecessary pressure on implants, and interrupt proper healing. Here you can read more on how to include bananas into your diet after having a dental implant.

While you could think that one apple is not going to cause so many problems, it is better to avoid this and similar foods. In these days you should prepare mashed potato, bananas, smoothies or anything with similar texture that doesn’t require multiple chewing. Apples have firm consistency and often we have to chew using force in order to prepare it properly before we swallow the bite.

So why exactly should you avoid apples right after your implant? First, chewing firm fruits like apples can cause stress on dental implant site and surrounding area. This stress can cause pain or discomfort that can influence normal healing that requires time in these weeks. Second, when we eat hard foods like this without being careful, it can cause irritation, and even damage to the sensitive tissue that can trigger infection and longer time of the recovery.

How Soon Can I Eat Apple After a Dental Implant? A Guide to Safe Eating

Right after dental implant intervention, it is better to stay away from hard and crunchy foods like most of fruit and vegetables like apples. Your dentist will likely recommend you to have a soft diet in the first 2-4 weeks to ensure proper healing. Eating firm groceries can cause stress on dental implants, which can disrupt healing process and cause certain scenarios we try to avoid.

So, when it is safe to reintroduce apples to your diet after dental implant surgery? Most dentists will advise to avoid apples and crunchy/firm foods in the first 4-6 weeks. This is a general rule, and it is best to consult with your dentist if you have doubts, as many factors can influence this. Your overall health, risk factors and potential for complications can vary from one individual to another. This timeframe will allow your implants to fuse with the surrounding bone so that you have teeth that will last for a long period of time.

Once you get the green light from your dentist, you are sure that there will not be any problem. However, even then it is better to be mindful about it. Avoid eating and biting apples as your life depends on it. Slice them into smaller pieces, or even better, place those pieces in a blender and make a smoothie or applesauce. Cooking apples can soften them, and you can combine cooked apples with soft texture with some whipped cream to have delicious dessert.

Can I Eat Apple After a Tooth Implant if I Prepare It In the Right Way?

Eating apples right after dental implant surgery in the way majority of us do is not recommended. With that being said, in the first couple of weeks you will want to forget biting into an apple as you used to maybe do it.

Even when you have a ”green light” from your dentist couple of weeks later, there are good practices to follow to ensure that healing will go in the right direction. It is almost always better to slice an apple or similar fruit into smaller cubes or pieces and chew it slowly.

You can place an apple in the blender and make a smoothie or some kind of apple sauce. This is the safe way to consume it, as it has liquid, soft texture and you won’t have to chew it for a long period of time. You can also cook apples and make some dessert. Cooked apples lose their firm texture when they are left in boiling water for a longer period of time. Combination of cooked apple with some whipped cream or honey makes a decent dessert for this period of time. So, you can eat apple after a tooth implant if you make sure to prepare it in the right way. Using this practice, you will enjoy eating an apple while making sure that you won’t have to chew and cause pressure on dental implant sites that can potentially disrupt healing process.

Conclusion

So, answering the question – Can I eat apple after a dental implant – is not just giving yes or no. To be clear, you should not be eating raw, firm apples right after dental implant. Reintroduce this kind of food only after 4-6 weeks after you had a consultation with your dentist. Even then, it is a good idea to slice an apple into smaller pieces and chew it slowly to avoid possible irritation.

If you really want to experience that apple flavor in the first month, you can cook an apple and eat it. If you decide on this step, make sure that an apple has an appropriate, soft, mushroom-like texture before you put it in your mouth. Another piece of advice is to make smoothie and blend it alone or with other fruits that you can consume in this period. This way, you can enjoy it without causing any problems and disrupting healing process.

References:

• Mavrogenis AF, Dimitriou R, Parvizi J, Babis GC. Biology of implant osseointegration. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2009 Apr-Jun;9(2):61-71. PMID: 19516081.