Health

7 Care Tips You Should Follow After Your Dental Implants Procedure

Whether you are considering dental implants or have to book an appointment with an emergency dentist, it is important to know what you should expect afterward. Having dental implants involves a minor surgical procedure, and whilst you will be given a mild anaesthetic so that you feel no discomfort or pain, there are several important care tips you should follow after the procedure, to aid recovery and minimise any subsequent discomfort.

Do Not Touch The Surgical Wounds

Although this might seem obvious it is important for us to emphasise the need for you to avoid touching or disturbing any of the surgical wounds after you leave our surgery, and in the hours after you get home. Apart from no touching during these first few hours do not rinse your mouth or brush your teeth, and also resist the urge to spit if you feel you have excess saliva building up.

Activities To Avoid

In addition to not touching your wounds, there are some other activities that you should try to avoid. Eating hot food and drinks is one of them as this can cause pain and disturb wounds. Any food you eat should be soft and not require chewing. You should also refrain from taking part in any strenuous sports or activities, especially those which present a risk of someone or something coming into contact with your mouth.

Bleeding Gums

You might experience some minor bleeding or red specks within your saliva. but this nothing to be alarmed about as it is perfectly normal following dental implant surgery and may continue for a couple of days. Remove any dried blood by gently rinsing your mouth. Thereafter you can bite firmly on a clean gauze pad for around 30 minutes. Repeat this, as necessary.

When The Local Anaesthetic Wears Off

Inevitably, the local anaesthetic administered to you at your surgery will wear off, and you might start feeling an increase in discomfort or pain. To counteract these take any pain reduction medication we prescribed for you. Note that this medication is likely to include strong analgesics and as such, it may cause some grogginess and slower reflexes. This means it is essential that you do not drive or operate any machinery whilst under the influence of your medication.

If You Observe Swelling

Many patients experience some swelling within their mouth, around their cheeks, and in the side of their face. If you do, again do not worry as this is to be expected. To reduce any swelling you should hold an ice pack on each side of your face for 20 minutes then remove them for 5 minutes before reapplying them again. On the third day after your surgery you can also help reduce facial swelling by holding warm, moist towels or face cloths on the sides of your face.

Stay Hydrated

Keeping yourself well hydrated is good advice in any circumstances and following dental implant surgery it applies every bit as much. Ideally you want to be drinking around 6 glasses of water per day, which equates to just under one litre. Drink directly from the glass rather than using a straw as straws can accidentally come into contact with your wounds and cause additional bleeding.

Aiding Healing With Good Oral Hygiene

The final way to aid your healing following dental implant surgery is by following good oral hygiene both in the short and the longer term. You do not want to be brushing your teeth vigorously in the first few days, but instead use the antibiotic mouthwash we may have prescribed to you. Gargling lukewarm salty water is also an excellent homemade oral antibiotic. When you are able to brush your teeth, do so gently, especially in those areas where the dental implants are located.