After Placement Of Dental Implants
Post-Operative Instructions
The wound must not be disturbed! Refrain from rinsing, spitting, or touching the wound immediately following the surgery. A metal healing cap will protrude through the gum tissue. Avoid running your tongue over it.
Bleeding
You will experience some bleeding or redness in the saliva for approximately 24 hours post-op. It’s completely normal. If you experience excessive bleeding (where a lot of blood fills your mouth in a short time), place a gauze pad directly on the bleeding wound, then bite down on it (not too hard) for about 30 minutes. This should control the bleeding. If the bleeding continues, and is profuse, please call our office immediately for further instructions.
Swelling
Your mouth and jaw will be swollen for a day or two, maybe more, after your procedure. This is also a normal occurrence. To minimize discomfort, keep an ice bag, plastic bag, or a towel filled with ice on the swollen area. Apply ice as frequently and continuously as possible for the first 24 hours after your surgery.
Diet
Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids, and stick to soft foods and warm liquids in the days immediately following the surgery. Continue the soft food regimen (food that can easily be cut with the side of a fork) for 2 full weeks. After that, you can go back to your normal diet, but keep hard or crunchy foods like nuts, raw vegetables, crackers, chips, carrots, etc. away from the area of the dental implant.
Pain
As soon as feel your local anesthetic wearing off, you should start taking pain medication. 2–3 tablets of 200 mg Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) may be taken every 4 hours as needed. If you are in severe pain, then take your prescription medication as directed. Naturally, you should not take any of the above medication if you have allergies, or your doctor has instructed you not to take them.
Antibiotics
Keep your surgical wound from getting infected by take the prescribed antibiotics as directed.
Oral Hygiene
Ensure your wound heals properly by practicing good oral hygiene. Warm salt water rinses (one teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) can be used 2–3 times a day, particularly after eating. Brush your teeth and the healing caps, but remember to be very gentle around the surgical areas.
Activity
Physical activity should be kept to a minimum immediately following surgery. Exercise may cause throbbing or bleeding. If so, discontinue your exercise routine for a few days before trying again.
Dentures and other prosthetics
Go ahead and use flippers, partial dentures, or full dentures immediately after surgery.
