Dental implants are often celebrated for their durability—studies show that 95% of them succeed at 20 years, and many of them last as long as 30 if you maintain them well.
As you may have guessed from that statistic, caring for your dental implants isn’t all that difficult either, usually involving all the same things you were doing to take care of your natural teeth. However, if you really want you’re them to last as long as possible, a change in your diet may be a good idea. Here are some guidelines for a dental-implant-friendly diet.
Foods to Support Bone Health
Dental implants are distinct from other tooth replacement options in that they are placed directly in the jawbone. While this gives them an additional layer of security, it also means that dental implants are more dependent on strong bones.
Calcium and vitamin D are the two nutrients most directly tied to bone health, so a diet rich in these minerals can do a lot to support your dental implant. Such foods include:
- Fatty fish
- Milk, especially milk fortified with vitamin D
- Eggs and other dairy products
- Tofu
- Leafy greens
- Fortified cereal
Carnivores may want to adopt a diet more focused on fish and dairy, while vegans and vegetarians may want to get their bone support from tofu and leafy greens.
Foods to Support Immunity
One of the biggest threats to dental implants is an infection known as peri-implantitis. This occurs when bacteria begin to seep under the gum line and attack bone tissue, which can eventually put the dental implant in the jaw at risk.
Dental hygiene is critically important to protecting your dental implants from infection, but it may also be helpful to adopt a diet that can help support your immune system. This may be a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods and vitamin C, both of which can be useful in fighting disease. Such foods include:
- Citrus fruits, like oranges
- Berries
- Onions and garlic
- Ginger
- Turmeric and black pepper
- Leafy greens
- Nuts and seeds
- Yogurt
- Oily fish
- Green tea
While these foods certainly aren’t substitutes for solid dental hygiene, working them into your diet can help you prevent infection and keep your implants going strong!
About Our Practice
At Legacy Dentistry, we believe that every patient we see deserves dedicated, high-quality service to get their smiles into shape. We believe that honesty is paramount to the relationship between patient and dentist, so we offer every patient that we see full transparency that can put them at ease. No matter who you are we’ll take your every need into account as we customize your treatment.
If you have any questions about dental implants, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (972) 723-1148.