Quite often when one or more teeth are lost due to trauma, disease, or are missing for any reason, the first thing that suffers is the way we are able to eat. Dr. Nicholas Kemp, your implant dentist serving Yorkville, can restore the ability to eat your favorite foods again.

The inability to chew properly might mean eliminating many of the healthy nutritious foods needed to maintain a proper diet. A missing tooth can change the way we bite, can result in shifting of teeth and lead to many other dental deficiencies. But a dental implant can be the answer to many of the issues that can not only lead to dental problems, but impact our overall health as well.

A dental implant is designed to be placed in gum tissue by your implant dentist.  Before initiating this procedure, however, your dentist will evaluate you to make sure your dental and physical health are adequate to support a dental implant.

In addition to health questions, your implant dentist will want to make sure your jaw bone structure has matured and is strong enough for the implant to graft to the bone. If you have been advised that you lack the bone for dental implants, don’t despair. There are different avenues for your implant dentist to take that will provide adequate bone structure to support a dental implant.

Once you have received your implant, you will go through a four to six month healing process.  During this time, it is advisable to eat conservatively, as you would not want to run the risk of breaking away your temporary covering or implant.

When your implant is completely healed and you have received your final restoration, you are pretty much able to eat the foods you have always loved. As with your own natural teeth, there are some precautions you should consider.

Would you munch away on hard rock candy before your implant? Probably not, and your dental implant is not a license to chew on hard items such as ice.

However, if you crave a nice juicy steak or want corn on the cob, go for it. If you are in the mood for a shiny red apple, munch away.

The foods you loved when you enjoyed life with all your natural teeth are back on the menu again.  Just be sensible and follow normal precautions. This includes good oral hygiene habits like flossing and brushing and twice yearly visits to our dentist for a professional cleaning and exam.  For additional information on dental implants and diet, call 416-922-1012.