Your Guide to Healing After a Dental Implant

‍Day of Surgery

• Do not rinse or spit for 24 hours following surgery. Do not smoke, drink carbonated beverages, or drink through a straw for one week. These factors can prevent blood clot formation and delay healing.
• Light pressure should be kept on the gauze that was placed in your mouth for one hour. If the gauze becomes saturated or the site continues to bleed after 1 hour,  replace the gauze with fresh, slightly moistened gauze.
• A small amount of oozing is normal for several days following surgery.
• Take all medications as directed. Do not drink alcohol while taking narcotics. Narcotics can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and altered consciousness. Do not take more medication than what is prescribed, as doing so could result in damage to your liver and/or kidneys. If you were given antibiotics, take them until they are gone (Note: antibiotics may affect the effectiveness of birth control pills).
• Physical activity should be kept to a minimum for at least 48 hrs. Avoiding strenuous activity helps prevent complications that delay healing.
• Healing is dependent upon nutrition and hydration. We recommend starting with soft foods (soup, oatmeal, eggs, mashed potatoes, etc.) for the first 48 hours,     then progressing to foods that require more chewing when you are comfortable doing so. Avoid spicy foods and hot liquids.
• A combination of ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) has been shown to be as effective as opioid medications for postoperative pain relief. We     recommend taking 600-800 mg ibuprofen and 325-500 mg acetaminophen every 6-8 hours for at least the first 72 hours after surgery. If you cannot take NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen, etc., then take only acetaminophen.

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Days after Surgery

• 24 hours after surgery, begin rinsing with the chlorhexidine mouthwash 3-4 times a day.     Care should be taken not to rinse too aggressively, as this can cause the  blood clot to come out.
• Oral hygiene is important, and you should brush and floss your other teeth to the best of your abilities as soon as you are able. This should begin the day of surgery. Avoid any vigorous swishing and spitting. Avoid brushing the surgical site itself.
• Any sutures placed will either dissolve on their own in 3-5 days or will be removed at your post-operative visit 1-2 weeks after surgery.
• Smoking is a leading cause of implant failure. We strongly discourage all tobacco use until the implant is fully healed (usually 3 months).
• Until the implant is fully healed (3 months), avoid putting heavy chewing force directly on the healing cap or temporary crown. Heavy forces during the healing period can increase the risk of implant failure.

What Else to Expect

• Numbness - the local anesthetic will begin to wear off within 2 to 6 hours following surgery. If numbness persists for more than 2 days after surgery, please call our office to schedule a follow-up appointment.
• Bleeding - It is normal for blood to ooze or bleed occasionally for the first 24-48 hours following surgery. It is a good idea to sleep with a towel or something over your pillow to prevent blood from staining your pillow at night.
• Swelling - You may experience post-operative swelling depending on the extent of your implant surgery. Swelling will increase and remain constant for up to 72 hours following surgery, after which it will begin to decrease. Immediately following surgery, an ice pack may be applied directly to the face over the surgical site. The ice pack should remain in place for a period of 15 to 20 minutes and then be removed for 15 to 20 minutes. This alternative sequence should continue throughout the first 24 hours after surgery.  Heat, preferably moist heat, may be applied as needed after 24 hours. If your level of swelling continues to get worse after 72 hours, please give our office a call,pain worsens after 72 hours, please call our office, as this may indicate as this could be a sign of an infection.
• Pain - When the local anesthetic wears off, you will feel discomfort. Taking your medication prior to the dental anesthetic wearing off will lessen your post-operative discomfort. Postoperative pain will remain constant or may increase during the 72-hour period. You should then begin to see a decrease in the levels of discomfort. If your level of pain continues to get worse after 72 hours, please call our office, as this could be a sign of an infection.

• Bad breath - Your breath may smell bad for a few weeks while the gums heal. Any use of mouthwash or other mouth rinses should be done very gently.

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For Further Assistance

You should seek immediate dental or medical care if you experience any of the following:

- Rapid, exaggerated, painful swelling of the neck, face, or throat

- Excessive bleeding that is uncontrolled with biting down on gauze

- Rise in normal body temperature at or above 101 degrees

- Adverse side effects to the prescribed medications (rash, difficulty breathing, etc.)

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If anything feels unexpected or you simply need reassurance, our team is here for you every step of the way.

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