Dental implants have the potential to last a lifetime if properly cared for. Proper care starts immediately after your dental implant surgery. Here are some general care tips for your dental implants during the healing process to give them the best start. Dr. Mike Firouzian at Firouzian Dentistry in Columbus will give you specific instructions after your procedure, and you should consult those first.

Know the Procedure Results

Your dental implant procedure will always place a dental implant in your jawbone. However, there are three different ways that Dr. Firouzian might top that implant at the procedure:

  • No top is visible: the implant is covered with gum tissue that’s stitched closed
  • A provisional restoration such as a crown, bridge, or denture
  • A healing abutment, like a cap
  • No top is visible: the implant is covered with gum tissue that’s stitched closed
  • A healing abutment, like a cap
  • A provisional restoration such as a crown, bridge, or denture

You may know beforehand what to expect, as with All-on-4 dental implants, which almost always give you a provisional restoration. However, Dr. Firouzian might make a different decision than originally planned based on how secure your implants are. Although the care isn’t radically different for these cases, it’s important to know what you have to treat it properly.

Wound Care: Managing Bleeding

Some bleeding is normal after dental implant surgery. Expect that you might see bleeding at the implant site for several hours after surgery. Pink or bloody saliva may persist for much longer–a full day or more after surgery.

If you have no healing abutment or provisional restoration, you will likely have gauze packed on the wound site. Apply gentle pressure regularly to help control bleeding. Change the gauze if it gets saturated. Stop using gauze after the first few hours to avoid dislodging blood clots at the surgical site. If you have a healing abutment or provisional restoration, you may not have gauze around them. If you do, follow the same instructions.

Do not interfere with sutures at the surgical site. They are likely soluble sutures and will dissolve on their own. If they are not soluble stitches, then Dr. Firouzian will likely have made an appointment to remove the sutures.

Swelling is part of the healing process, but you can help to keep it under control by applying an ice pack to your cheek near the surgical site. For best results, apply an ice pack for 20 minutes, then spend 20 minutes with no ice pack.

Activity

After your surgery, you should take the rest of the day off. Try to relax for the remainder of the day.

Most people can go back to work the following day. However, you should avoid strenuous physical activity for at least 10 days after surgery.

Oral Hygiene

You should take care when cleaning your teeth until your dental implants are fully recovered. For the rest of the day of surgery, you should not brush your teeth, rinse, or spit.

You can get back to brushing on the next day but avoid the surgical site. You can rinse gently with a saltwater solution.

During one of your follow-up visits, Dr. Firouzian will let you know when it’s okay to resume brushing normally.

Diet

Eating with a numb mouth can be dangerous, so don’t eat until the anesthesia has worn off enough that you can feel your cheeks and tongue. Otherwise, you might give yourself a serious bite injury accidentally.

On the day of surgery, you should eat only soft foods. This is not the same as a liquid diet and may include foods like bananas, yogurt, and soup. Don’t drink any alcohol for 48 hours after surgery. Avoid foods that can break into fragments that get into your wound. This includes potato chips, corn chips, crackers, and nuts.

Even if you have a provisional crown, bridge, or denture, don’t resume chewing immediately. When possible, try to avoid chewing with the new implant. Use caution with hot liquids at first until you’re confident you can handle them safely. Other than fragmentable food, you can return to eating normally as soon as you feel up to it.

Medications

Take medications as directed by Dr. Firouzian. Specific instructions on the label supersede anything in this guide, general written instructions, or even the specific instructions Dr. Firouzian gave you. If you have any questions or concerns about your medications, please contact our office.

Start taking prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications as soon as sensation starts to return. This will give you maximum control over discomfort. However, dental implant procedures aren’t very painful, so you might not have a prescription for pain medication or feel the need for OTC painkillers.

If taking OTC medication, don’t exceed the label dosage unless Dr. Firouzian explicitly tells you to do so. There is a small concern that NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) could affect bone healing, so prefer acetaminophen (Tylenol) during dental implant recovery.

If you had sedation dentistry for your dental implant procedure, request that a responsible adult stays with you until you are recovered from the sedation effects.

When to Contact Our Office

Be vigilant for signs of potential complications. The procedure is very safe, and complications are rare, but if they do occur, an early response can improve your results.

Contact our office in any of these situations:

  • You have signs of infection, including:
    • Foul-smelling or foul-tasting discharge from the wound
    • Localized warmth
    • Fever
  • Bleeding persists for more than 24 hours
  • Pain and/or swelling increase after the first few days
  • You don’t understand instructions for medication or postoperative care
  • You don’t understand instructions for medication or postoperative care
  • Bleeding persists for more than 24 hours
  • Pain and/or swelling increase after the first few days
  • You have signs of infection, including:
    • Foul-smelling or foul-tasting discharge from the wound
    • Localized warmth
    • Fever

We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have or help you keep your peace of mind. 

Get Dental Implants in Columbus

Dental implant surgery is relatively minor, and recovery is typically very easy. It’s not hard to care for implants during the recovery phase, and after they’re healed, you care for them just like normal teeth.

Want to learn more about the dental implant process? Please call (614) 848-5001 or use our online form to request an appointment at Firouzian Dentistry in Columbus.