ALL ON 4 Implant Diet

Add Soft Foods When Numbness is Gone / Increase Diet as Tolerated after 4 weeks. Rest and relax with no physical activity for the first 3 days after ALL-ON-4 surgery.

The best thing you can do to improve your nutritional status when you are recovering from ALL-ON-4 surgery is to focus on whole foods. Consume foods that are “whole” or unprocessed. For example, an orange and boiled egg would be a whole food. Know that orange juice, from concentrate, would be a processed version of that food. A baked potato is a whole food, while a french fry is more processed and much less healthy, having been fried. Another example is onions are better than onion rings.

For the first 8-12 weeks after surgery, obtain most of your nutrition from these whole foods, which is actually a healthy way to eat every day, not just in the weeks following surgery.

Processed foods tend to have higher amounts of fat, sugar, salt, and chemical additives, but far less fiber and vitamins than their whole food counterparts. One way to stick to more nutritious, less-processed foods is to focus on the outside aisles of the grocery store. Most grocery stores are set up with unprocessed foods in the outermost areas of the store in the produce, butcher/fish, dairy, and bread areas.

If you do most of your shopping in those areas, you naturally would choose healthier foods that are high in fiber—a vital nutrient to include in your diet after surgery.

It is important to include fiber in your diet as you are recovering from surgery and while taking antibiotics. Not only are high-fiber foods healthier than their low-fiber counterparts, but fiber also plays a major role in preventing constipation, a highly common complication after ALL-ON-4 Dental Implants surgery. Constipation is more than just annoying after taking prescribed medications after surgery, it can actually create pain and the chances of necessary nutrients not crossing over to the bloodstream and possibly dealing with the recovery period.

Rather than adding a fiber supplement to your day consider adding high-fiber foods to your diet and obtaining fiber in a more natural way. Supplementing is not a bad idea, but fiber from food tends to work much better to prevent constipation when taken with ample water.

• Dried or dehydrated foods: These include dried fruits (prunes are an exception, they can help to ease constipation) and some types of potato chips.
• Processed Foods
• Cheese
• Milk and Dairy Products
• Red Meat
• Sweets: including pastries, candies, cakes, and other sugary foods.

The decrease in your intake of protein may slow down your healing process. Consume lean protein which can be found in lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, and pork. Seafood, including fish, is also an excellent source of lean protein. Red meat is not recommended because of the high level of saturated fat and because it can trigger constipation.
If you don’t eat meat or don’t enjoy meat, remember that protein comes from many sources other than meat. Consider nuts, tofu, beans, and “vegetarian” foods, such as tempeh and texturized vegetable protein (TVP) to supplement your protein needs. Dairy products are also a source of protein it should be consumed in moderation. If you are having difficulty eating, consider supplementing your diet with protein powder, which can be added to drinks, such as smoothies. 4

Fresh fruit and vegetables contain both nutrients and fiber, which are essential to healing during your ALL-ON-4 recovery from surgery. While fresh is best, frozen or canned items are also good. Try to emphasize items that are not processed, such as fresh broccoli, and avoid processed foods, such as canned broccoli soup.

One acceptable side effect of eating more fruits and vegetables than usual is gas. While this can be an annoying or embarrassing problem, it should pass within a day or two. If the gas is so severe that you feel stomach pressure or abdominal cramping, you can decrease your intake of fresh produce or use a gas reliever, such as Beano to prevent gas 6  or Gas-X.

Sometimes it is difficult to eat after surgery because of a lack of appetite. This typically passes a few days after surgery, but it is important to continue eating nutritious foods during this part of your recovery. Constipation can cause a lack of appetite. If this is the case, speak to your surgeon about ways to relieve constipation before taking over-the-counter remedies.

While most people in America could stand to lose a few pounds, skipping meals after surgery is not the way to do it. Failing to eat enough after surgery can slow healing and delay the closure of your incision. Your body needs protein and other nutrients to build healthy new tissue and heal tissue injured by surgery.

If you are not constipated and are still having difficulty with your appetite, consider calorie-dense foods, such as a smoothie, which can contain dairy, fruit, and even protein powder as necessary. If you are unable to consume enough calories after your surgery, try to eat calorie-dense foods whenever possible. That means eating foods that contain more calories per bite than others. For example, a cup of green salad would be a food low in calories per cup, while avocado would be very high in calories per cup.

If consuming enough calories is an issue, you may want to eliminate low-calorie and calorie-free items from your diet until you are able to eat adequately. For example, use regular salad dressing, replace diet soda with juice or full-calorie soda and (in general) avoid foods that say “lite,” “sugar-free,” “calorie-free,” “diet,” “low-fat,” or “low-calorie” on the label.

What you eat in the days and weeks following ALL-ON-4 surgery can help determine how quickly your gums and dental implants would heal and how well you feel while recovering. Take the time to eat well, choose foods you know to be healthful and nutritious, and be sure to eat enough calories to help sustain your body through the healing process.