Soft Food Diet: How and Why

Leaving the dentist’s office, your numb mouth continues to feel funny for a while. You are going to perfect your smile with custom veneers, but for now, you have temporary ones in place. Before you exited, the dentist highly recommended a soft food diet until your more permanent veneers come in. But why would soft food be necessary? What kinds of foods can you eat on a soft food diet? Keep reading to learn the answers.

Why You Should Eat Soft Foods for a While

After getting veneers or crowns, your teeth may feel sensitive as they get used to their new restorations. Eating soft foods allows your teeth to ease back into their normal function without putting too much stress on your smile upfront.

Of course, after the local anesthetic wears off, you may build back up to your normal diet as tolerated. Sometimes, temporary crowns or veneers do not fit perfectly, which means your teeth could remain a little sensitive until the custom restorations are done. In this situation, continue to have soft foods and stay away from hot, cold, and sugar-filled foods and drinks.

Good Soft Foods

The positive side of being on a soft food diet temporarily is that there are plenty of yummy, nutritious foods you can soften. For instance, you can enjoy oatmeal, steamed vegetables, yogurt, eggs, smoothies, and much more.

Although they may be tempting, some soft foods can be more damaging to your oral and overall health than helpful. Just because your teeth may be a little sensitive, it doesn’t mean you should go crazy and binge ice cream or Jell-O. A little is just fine, but try to limit the sugary, unhealthy soft foods and make appropriate choices so that you don’t have to get even more dental work done!

After Getting Your Custom Restorations

When you return to your dentist’s office to have your temporary veneers or crowns removed, you will not need to be numbed beforehand. The custom restorations can simply be attached and secured. Then, you’re on your way! After this appointment, however, you should have a soft food diet for about 24 hours to give the adhesive plenty of time to solidify.

At that point, you should be free to eat basically whatever you choose. Just remember that, while they are exceptionally strong, crowns and veneers are not completely indestructible. You can have chips, nuts, and the like, but you shouldn’t chew on ice or pencils, which can damage your teeth and your restorations.

In the end, a soft food diet is only temporary. By following your dentist’s instructions for your veneers or crowns, you can repair or upgrade your smile while experiencing the least amount of discomfort.

About the Practice

Applegate Dental’s dentists and support team are proud to serve West Seneca and the surrounding area. With all our advice, we make sure our patients understand both what we’re asking them to do and why. We have years of clinical experience repairing smiles and changing lives, and we know we can do the same for you! Contact our office by calling 716-712-5301 or visiting our website here.