Healing & Recovery Strategies for Dental Implants: A Deep Dive

It is never wrong to stay prepared after dental implant surgery. Staying prepared for dental implant surgery will further allow you to recuperate as quickly as possible after the treatment. Follow the following tips to boost dental implant healing and ensure the success of your dental implant surgery.

Tip #1: Arrange for Someone to Drive You Home After Dental Implant Surgery

If your dental implant surgery needs you to sleep during the treatment, you will need to have someone to drive you home. After a procedure, it takes some time for attention and coordination to recover. It's also very uncommon for you to feel a little blurred vision after general anesthesia. It is always advised not to drive or use machinery for the first 24 hours for these reasons. The first step toward a quick recovery is having someone to take you home.

Tip #2: Facilitate Blood Clotting at the Dental Implant Healing at Surgical site

It is normal to experience bleeding from the surgical site for up to 48-72 hours after a dental implant placement surgery. It would help if you continued to bite down hard on gauze sponges throughout this period. Slight pressure applied by biting down on a sterile gauze will assist in halting any persistent bleeding. However, this procedure also encourages blood to clot, therefore avoid rinsing to avoid disturbing the delicate surgical area and increasing bleeding.

It is uncommon to suffer bleeding from the nose after placing a dental implant in the upper jaw. However, if you have this type of bleeding, avoid blowing your nose and induce clots by putting light pressure on the bridge of your nose.

Tip #3: Please Do Not Neglect Constant Bleeding After Dental Implant Surgery

Bleeding following a dental implant placement is normal. However, if the bleeding looks excessive or heavy, use the following procedures to produce blood clots and reduce the bleeding:

• Wipe away big clots of blood from your mouth gently.
• Place two folded gauze pads over the bleeding wound.
• Bite firmly for an hour on the gauze without replacing the gauze.
• Repeat the procedure numerous times until the bleeding stops.

Moistened ordinary (non-herbal or decaf) tea bags wrapped in gauze can be employed to stop the bleeding. Place the tea bags immediately on the bleeding region and bite down firmly for one hour. If the bleeding does not cease even after few hours after surgery, call our dental office immediately.

Tip #4: Only Eat Soft Foods for the First 24 hours After Dental Implant Surgery

If you need to eat, you can remove the gauze pads your doctor has placed one hour following surgery. Only soft foods have to be consumed for the first 24 hours. For several hours after your operation, avoid any hot or spicy meals or beverages.

Tip #5: Assist with Swelling Reduction After Dental Implant Surgery

Swelling is a standard component of the healing process, especially following bone grafting treatments. After oral surgery, facial edema usually develops for 3-4 days. The swelling should start to go down soon after that. It is not uncommon for one side of your mouth to be swollen or unpleasant if you had implants placed on both sides.

Reduce swelling by applying a cold pack to the cheek area for a maximum of ten minutes at a time, with a twenty-minute pause in between sessions. Gentle heat may be more effective after 24 hours in treating swelling and bruising.

Tip #6: Take All Antibiotics as Directed

After the dental implant surgery, you might need to take antibiotics. Antibiotics are used to prevent infection of the dental implant or bone graft. To ensure adequate dosing, you must follow the guidelines on the bottle and continue to take the prescription until it is finished. If you develop an allergic reaction to the antibiotics, such as a skin rash, discontinue use promptly and visit your doctor.

Tip #7: Stay Away from Smoking After the Dental Implant Surgery.

Smoking in any form after oral surgery will obstruct the proper healing process. It may also raise your chances of becoming infected. Failure of a dental implant or bone grafting treatment is common, and smokers are more likely to fail than nonsmokers.

Tip #8: Make a Follow-up Appointment for Dental Implant Surgery

Three weeks after your implant procedure, your implant provider will most likely want to visit you. Suppose your implant was placed in a two-stage process. In that case, the healing torque of the implant will need to be evaluated after this follow-up exam or for the second part of the surgery to expose the implant and insert the healing abutment.

Tip #9: Follow Your Dentist Instructions for Dental Implants.

It is important that you strictly adhere to the post-operative instructions provided by your dental team. Following your dentist's instructions for oral hygiene, medications, and diet would help you to cut down the recovery time.