These days, there’s no better way to replace your lost teeth than with dental implants. Not only do they look and feel impeccably like your natural pearly whites, but they also have the potential to last for the rest of your life! However, they do require oral surgery. While the procedure is fairly straightforward, you’ll need to follow your surgeon’s aftercare guidelines in order to have a successful recovery. Here are a few things you can expect after dental implant surgery!
Intermittent Bleeding on the First Day
Immediately after placing the implants, your oral surgeon will put gauze pads over the area to curb bleeding. They’ll let you know how often you’ll need to switch out the gauze pads, which should be about every hour. By keeping light pressure on the implant sites, blood clots will begin to form, facilitating the healing process. Avoid disturbing these blood clots by refraining from tobacco, using straws, or forcefully spitting or blowing your nose.
Swelling for the First Three Days or So
It’s common to experience mild swelling in your cheek over the first 72 hours, but it may last up to a week. One easy way to mitigate this swelling (and pain) is to hold a cold compress to the outside of your face for ten minutes at a time. Then, wait at least ten minutes before using the compress again for another ten minutes. You can repeat this process for up to one hour.
General Discomfort That Subsides Over Time
As with any oral surgery, dental implant placement is going to cause soreness, but it should be manageable. You should be prescribed some pain medication. Remember to take it only as directed. Any discomfort should begin to fade after two or three days. However, please call your oral surgeon right away if you find your pain worsening rather than decreasing.
Maintaining a Soft Food Diet
For the first week or so, stick to soft foods that you can eat with a spoon. This means you’ll primarily be eating yogurt, pudding, mashes potatoes, ice cream, and similar foods. After about one week, you should be able to start adding heartier foods to your diet as you feel comfortable doing so, but try not to chew anything particularly tough with the implant sites.
Keeping Your Mouth Clean
Starting on the day after your procedure, you’ll most likely be able to brush and floss like normal. You’ll want to be extremely careful near the surgical sites, though. Additionally, you may want to rinse your mouth with saltwater two or three times a day; this can soothe irritated tissues while cutting down on the risk of bacterial infection. Just don’t swish or rinse too vigorously and risk disturbing the blood clots.
Dental implants can help you enjoy a complete, confident smile after tooth loss. As long as you follow your surgeon’s instructions, you can look forward to a smooth and speedy recovery!
About the Practice
Nob Hill Oral & Facial Surgery of Albuquerque has been serving members of the Albuquerque community since 1988. Our team is led by Dr. Sterk and Dr. Gutierrez, two board-certified oral surgeons who provide a wide range of oral surgery services, including dental implant placement. To learn more about what to expect when getting dental implants, or if you have any questions about the recovery process, you can reach out to our office by calling (505) 881-7373.