Home Care for Dental Implants: Best Practices Revealed
Regardless of the extent of your procedure, there are things you can do for a quicker, more successful recovery from dental implant surgery, once you reach home. Dental Implant Home Care tips for a quicker and faster recovery from dental implants. Remember it is a surgical process like any other and you must follow some Dental Implant Home Care - do’s and don’ts in this case too.
Incase, you had a dental teeth implanted, make sure you do the following
- Never touch or disturb or even touch the wound
- Don’t rinse or spit and do not gargle unless asked to do so
- Avoid using straws
- Stay away from hot liquids and hot and hard foods like crackers, pizza etc
- Don’t wear your prosthesis (for at least 10 days) till the implant is matured and safely set
Dental Implant Home Care – Take Care of Yourself
- Even if you’ve had a relatively simple procedure, there’s still a healing process, and it’s a good idea to take the day off to relax and rest. Avoid going to work, excessive talking or eating.
- Sometimes you might be prescribed a sedative , if you are in too much pain, in that case avoid driving or doing any heavy lifting work, moving equipments etc as you might feel drowsy after the procedure due to the impact of the sedative.
- Do not indulge in heavy, strenuous work or rigourous gym workouts after a dental implant procedure to prevent release of blood clots at the surgery site .
- Some patients , especially the elderly might get a slight fever after the dental implant surgery and may be given mild paracetamol tablets . Kindly take them as prescribed. But incase, the fever or swelling lasts more than a couple of days or shortness of breath (which may indicate an allergic reaction to the anaesthesia),is there , kindly contact your dental surgeon immediately.
Always Listen to your Dentist if you want to recover fast!
- Your dentist will give you precise aftercare instructions, and the closer you adhere to them, the more likely you are to recover without any difficulty.
- After dental implant surgery, you may be directed to avoid brushing and mouthwash entirely for a short time especially around the tender areas, please follow instructions scrupulously.
- Whether you have prescribed or over-the-counter, painkillers at home, DO NOT take them without proper prescription from your dentist. If you are going to take any painkiller , call up the dental office first and make sure your dentist knows about it, just in case there is any reaction later on . Best is to avoid self medication totally.
- Make sure to attend all post-procedure appointments with your dentist to ensure a smooth recovery from a dental implant procedure.
- Be regular about your follow up check ups and write down any discomfort you had, so you can discuss with the dentist on your next visit.
Diet is important part of healing from a dental Implant surgery!
- At least for a week ,make sure to eat soft, warm food. Some patients benefit from milder, softer food, like applesauce or oatmeal, is more comfortable to eat during dental implant recovery.
- Avoid too hot, too cold, or too spicy foods and anything too chewy or tough during dental implant recovery.
- If you want to heal faster and lessen the chances of any blood clotting, be careful about the food you eat after surgery , atleast for a week.Some of the better food choices include, yoghurt, oatmeal, applesauce, or some lukewarm soup, soft ravioli.
Dental Implant Home Care – Pain
Once you feel the local anesthetic wearing off from your dental implant procedure, take the antibiotic prescribed by your dentist—this will also help prevent infection. You can also manage dental implant pain, which is common after surgery, with over-the-counter medications. For moderate pain, take Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) every 3-4 hours. Do not take any medication if you are allergic or have been instructed by your doctor not to take it.
Sometimes Bleeding may occue, do not panic!
After the dental implant surgery, some patients may experience redness of the gums and little blood in the saliva, which is normal within the first 24 hours. Keeping physical activity to a minimum immediately following surgery can help prevent bleeding and throbbing. You can control excessive bleeding (your mouth fills quickly with blood) by placing a gauze pad directly on the bleeding wound and biting down for 30 minutes.
A bit of Swelling is normal!
To minimize swelling, you can apply ice continuously on the cheek near the area of your surgery. You should ice as much as possible for the first 36 hours after your dental implants procedure. Swelling is normal—as well as bruising in some cases. To speed up the healing process, apply ice after 36 hours of your surgery.
Lastly,
Keeping your mouth clean is essential to the healing process.
If there is no bleeding, use warm salt water rinses (teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) at least 4-5 times a day, especially after meals. You can gently brush your teeth and the surgical area without touching or disturbing it
With these dental implant homecare tips, you will have an incident free recovery from Dental implants.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries usual risks.
Never let the price keep you from getting the same day dental implants in Memphis, TN!
Request an initial consultation with Dr. Adatrow to learn more about what you need and how much it will cost. Our doctors and staff will collaborate to create a personalized treatment plan for you and will provide all financing options to help you obtain the smile you deserve. In addition, we will ensure that we offer you top-notch treatment, making dental implants low cost compared with the long-term benefits.
Moreover, Dr. Adatrow has more than 18 years of experience in placing dental implants, with a success rate of over 97%, and can provide you with the best possible dental treatment. He is a Board-Certified Prosthodontist and Periodontist in the mid-south. Please get in touch with our office to schedule your consultation now!