5 Patient Recovery Tips After Dental Implant Surgery

If you have a serious oral health problem, surgery may be the best option to help relieve your symptoms and get to the bottom of your issue. Once you have the dental implant surgery procedure done, you will need to make sure that you care for yourself properly to experience optimal recovery and healing. The first month after your procedure is the most crucial since this is the time during which the implant integrates with your own bone and tissue. Here are 5 patient recovery tips after dental implant surgery.

1. First, always take any and all prescribed medication your doctor gives to you. Make sure you are receiving the right dosage and be sure to take the correct amount daily. Antibiotics are especially important to take since they will reduce the change of infections developing around the site of the implant. 24 hours after your procedure you should start using a prescribed oral rinse 2 times per day as well as a warm salt-water rinse about 3 or 4 times each day, preferably after each meal that you eat throughout the day.
2. Be aware of bleeding. It is normal for patients to experience bleeding and blood in the saliva for the first 24 hours after a dental implant surgery, Biting on gauze pads can help to absorb the blood, plus the applied pressure helps to slow the bleeding significantly.
3. Not too long after your procedure, the anesthetic will, unfortunately, begin to wear off, likely leaving you in pain or discomfort. Try to take pain medication before the anesthetics wear off to prevent pain. You can take any over the counter pain reliever such as Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Aleve, or ibuprofen.
4. Eat soft foods. These will be easier to eat and much more comfortable, helping to reduce agitation or irritation that harder foods could cause. If you feel really to eat solid foods, that’s fine, but always be cautious and eat right to reduce pain, not male it worse! Foods like yogurt, apple sauce, ice pops and ice cream are often the easiest and best options. In addition to your food routine, be sure to drink enough water as well so that you can stay hydrated and heal faster.
5. You may also experience swelling of the mouth, gums of even the facial region post implant surgery. Be sure to keep your head elevated and reduce your activity levels as much as you can. Apply cold compresses or ice packs to the swollen area to help the swelling subside. You will likely need an ice pack for the first 48 hours. Then, just be sure to use them when needed to lessen the swelling and agitation you may be experiencing.

While the aftermath of a dental implant surgery may not be a walk in the park, you can do many things to help foster healing while also staying as comfortable as possible. To recover properly, you will want to take all prescriptions and antibiotics, handle bleeding properly, eat soft foods, and ice swollen areas. For more advice and tips, be sure to consult your dentist such as a professional at Sun Dental & Dentures about dental implants to learn if they are right for you, as well as how to keep you safe.