Dental Implant Care | Tri-State Oral Surgery

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Bleeding

Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours after a dental implant. Excessive bleeding (your mouth fills up rapidly with blood) can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes or just sipping on ice water. If bleeding continues please call for further instructions.

Swelling

Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery. To minimize swelling, apply an ice pack, or a plastic bag, or towel filled with ice on the cheek in the area of surgery. Apply the ice for 20 minutes on 20 minutes off, as much as possible, for the first 24 hours.

Diet

Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid hot liquids or food. Soft, cold food and liquids should be eaten on the day of surgery. Return to a normal diet as soon as possible unless otherwise directed.

Pain

You should begin taking pain medication before you feel the local anesthetic wearing off. For moderate pain, you can use over the counter pain medication. Ibuprofen, bought over the counter comes in 200 mg tablets: 2-3 tablets may be taken every 3-4 hours as needed for pain. For severe pain, the prescribed medication should be taken as directed. Do not take any of the above medication if you are allergic, or have been instructed by your doctor not to take it.

Antibiotics

Be sure to take the prescribed antibiotics until completely gone to help prevent infection.

Oral Hygiene

Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing of a dental implant. Warm salt water rinses (teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) should be used at least 4-5 times a day, as well, especially after meals. Brushing your teeth and the healing abutments is no problem. Be gentle initially with brushing the surgical areas.

Activity

Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. If you are considering exercise, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If this occurs, you should discontinue exercising. Keep in mind that you are probably not taking normal nourishment. This may weaken you and further limit your ability to exercise.

Wearing your Prosthesis

Partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures should not be used immediately after surgery unless specifically permitted by your oral surgeon at the time of surgery.