Upcoming Dental Implant Surgery? Follow These Expert Recovery Tips

Dental implants can replace one or more missing teeth and completely restore your smile. Both aesthetically pleasing and functional, implants can also reduce the number of potential threats to your oral health as a result of a missing tooth. If you have an upcoming dental implant surgery, be sure to follow these recovery tips from our experts to promote quick healing and minimize recovery time.

General Dental Implant Aftercare

In general, you need to obtain the proper rest for healing following your dental implant surgery.
Do not press against the side of the dental implant with your fingers or tongue.
Avoid exercising in a strenuous manner for the first two days following your dental implant surgery.
Attempt to sleep in a propped-up position. This position will help you sleep while assisting with managing the flow of blood.
Avoid hot and cold drinks until after the anesthetic wears off completely.
Utilize a warm saltwater rinse to promote healing in the first week.
If you have been given a course of antibiotics to take after your surgery, please ensure that you complete the prescription to avoid infection.

Help To Minimize Potential Swelling

Swelling most often occurs as part of the natural healing process, especially after bone grafting procedures. Facial swelling typically increases for approximately 3-4 days after oral surgery. Soon after, the swelling should begin to subside. If you had implants placed on both sides of your mouth, it is not uncommon for one side to be more swollen or uncomfortable than the other.

Help to minimize the amount of swelling, apply a cold pack to the cheek area for a maximum of ten minutes at a time with twenty minutes break between sessions. After 24 hours, gentle heat can be more beneficial in combating swelling and bruising.

Proactively Manage Pain and Discomfort

You will likely experience minor pain and discomfort for a few days after any surgical procedure in your mouth. Any pain you may encounter should be easily managed with over-the-counter pain medications. Take any necessary pain medications regularly at the maximum stated dose for the first two days after surgery. The first dose of pain medication is recommended before the local anesthetic has completely worn off to avoid any extreme, unnecessary pain.

Take All Prescribed Antibiotics

Dental implant surgery requires antibiotics to be taken after your procedure. Antibiotics are used to prevent infection on or around the dental implant or bone graft. You must follow the directions on the bottle to ensure proper dosage, and to continue taking the medication until it is finished. If you should develop a reaction to the antibiotics, such a skin rash, stop taking the medication immediately and consult with your doctor.

Don’t Ignore Persistent Bleeding

Depending on the patient, bleeding can be more substantial than you may expect after specific procedures. In most cases, these following these steps will significantly reduce the amount of bleeding you may be experiencing. If active bleeding continues despite these efforts, call your doctor to coordinate an emergency follow-up appointment.

Gently wipe away any large clots from your mouth
Take two gauze pads folded into fourths and place it over the bleeding site
You can also take moistened regular (non-herbal or decaf) tea bags wrapped in gauze and place them directly over the bleeding site
Bite down firmly for one hour without changing out the pad
Repeat the process several times if bleeding continues

Establish a Long-Term Care Routine

In the following days and weeks after your procedure, you should continue your care routine utilizing any dental cleaning tools that were recommended by your dentist. Brushing, flossing, and rinsing with salt water should become prominent stables in your daily routine as your implant continues to heal. Maintain your dental implant long term by scheduling post-operative appointments. It is vital to the health of your dental implant, and these appointments allow your dentist to clean and inspect the overall health of your teeth.

Elite Dental & Denture PC wants for your dental implant surgery to be as smooth and pleasant as possible. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your implant procedure, please do not hesitate to contact us so we can help!