What To Expect During Dental Implant Recovery

How Long Does The Dental Implant Healing Process Take?

You have elected to get dental implants over other solutions like dentures. There were certain things that you liked about it, such as it acting like a normal tooth and that you don’t have to take it out each night to soak it. Being able to stick to pretty much the same diet before the implant also puts it above the dentures.

Now you are going to have dental implant surgery. While there are different stages to dental implant surgery and you will have to wait a bit in between each one before your Columbus dentist proceeds, there are common things to keep an eye out for. By paying attention to this, you will be able to have a much smoother experience overall.

Here are some things for you to expect during your dental implant recovery:

There Will Be Bleeding

Don’t be surprised to see blood in your mouth for anywhere as long as 72 hours after you have had the surgery. You can do things like a bite on a gauze pad for 10 minutes or even put a moist tea bag in your mouth – make sure that it is cold. Both of these things can stop your bleeding.

There May Be Swelling

This depends on how complex your implant was. If it was a fairly straightforward one, then the swelling will be minimal to non-existent. If more work was needed, then the swelling may increase. In either case, put ice on your jaw where the implant was and hold it there for 10 minutes and then wait 10 minutes and then apply it again. That will keep any swelling to a minimum.

There May Be Sutures

You may get sutures that wind up dissolving over the course of the next four or five days. Be careful what you eat and drink when you have them – follow your dentist’s instructions very carefully to make sure that the sutures stay there as long as they are needed. This will be a big help when it comes to having things heal properly.

The main things that you should do to help yourself through this is to rest, ice the area, make sure to brush and floss your teeth … gently … with manual toothbrushes instead of electric ones, gently rinse out the area and also take any medication that your Ohio dentist or oral surgeon has prescribed. Do not use mouthwash for at least a week or more.

Do not smoke or drink alcohol, do not lift things or do strenuous activities, avoid caffeine if you can, and don’t eat hard or crusty foods. Try to sleep on your side if you can.

Now that you know what to expect during your recovery, there are things that you should do to take care of your dental implants like maintaining a good oral health routine by brushing and flossing, including using an interdental toothbrush to get between the tooth and dental implant.

As far as eating and drinking go, you can eat almost everything that you did before the dental implant with the exception of hard candy, crunchy ice, or other hard foods. The dental crown that acts as the new tooth is durable but it is not unbreakable. Chewing and talking will be as easy as if you have regular teeth.

The most important thing that you can do is to continue to see your Ohio dentist twice a year. Just because you got a dental implant doesn’t mean you can stop going in for your dental exams. They will be able to see how you are progressing with your dental implant. Of course, you need to contact them if you feel like something is wrong in the area of the implant.

Dental implants are now a very common thing and computer-guided technology has made the entire process a much simpler one. If you stick to the above tips, you should have a very easy time of recovering and then being able to go out and enjoy your brand-new dental implant. Since dental implants last up to 25 years with good care, that can be a very long time to enjoy them, indeed.

If you live in the Columbus area and want to have the best experience with getting dental implants, come see Dr. Russell Kiser. He has done many of them over the course of his career and he will use his knowledge as an endodontist to ensure that you love your teeth after everything is finished. Contact us today at Advanced Dentistry and Dental Implant Center.