Aftercare Recommendations for Dental Implants

Dental implants have changed the way in which dental implant dentists can restore your smile. Dental Implants are a highly recommended solution for missing teeth and they are extremely successful in the vast majority of cases. As with any other sort of medical procedure, providing the right aftercare for your dental implants is essential. This will help you to avoid experiencing any complications and will help ensure that your new smile is as strong, secure, resilient and attractive as you want, need and deserve it to be. With this in mind, here are our aftercare recommendations for dental implants.

Immediately after receiving dental implants

The first few days after your dental implant procedure are crucial; proper care and following the aftercare instructions is essential to kickstart your recovery and prevent most complications from occurring.  

Managing swelling and inflammation

Swelling and inflammation are to be expected following a dental implant procedure. You may even notice some bruising, and this can last for around a week, depending on how quickly you heal. We recommend that you use ice packs to help reduce the inflammation and the stiffness and discomfort associated with it, but place this onto the cheek area rather than directly onto the mouth. After the first 24 hours, switch to heat packs instead which should provide greater relief.

Pain management

Most patients will experience some degree of discomfort following the placement of their dental implants. However, over-the-counter pain relief medications are usually sufficient to keep patients feeling comfortable, and you should take these as directed. At no point should the discomfort ever become unbearable. If it does, you need to see your dental implant dentist in Federal Way, WA at Clarity Dental Center to ensure that you aren’t experiencing any complications.

Eating and drinking

Your dental implant dentist at Clarity Dental Center will advise you to avoid eating until the anesthetic has completely worn off. This is because if your mouth is numb, you are more likely to accidentally bite and damage the inside of your mouth. During this time, you can drink cold drinks, but in the same way, hot drinks should be avoided since you could inadvertently burn your mouth through lack of feeling. Your dental implant dentist will recommend that you choose a soft food diet in the first few days following your dental implant surgery, as soft foods like soup, yogurt and mashed potatoes are more comfortable to eat and less likely to cause damage to your gums and implants. However, within a few days, most people find that they can return to eating a fairly normal and balanced diet.

It’s crucial to remember that you will need to allow yourself time to heal and recover from the dental implant process. This means taking some time off of work and giving yourself time to rest. It’s important to follow the aftercare instructions provided by your dentist at Clarity Dental Center as these will give you the greatest chance of a swift and complication-free recovery. Most patients feel back to normal within a week of their surgery. In the meantime, if you have any concerns about aftercare for dental implants, you should speak to your dental implant dentist at Clarity Dental Center by calling (253) 799-1490.

Long-term care for dental implants

If you have invested in dental implants to restore your smile, you will undoubtedly want to keep it in the best possible condition. You will be given some specific advice relating to the long-term care you must provide your dental implants in order to keep them looking and feeling fantastic.

Firstly, your new teeth must be cared for just like your natural ones. This means brushing and flossing regularly and using fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash. Although you can’t develop cavities in dental implants, poor oral hygiene could cause you to develop gum disease – an inflammatory condition that is bad news for dental implants. If gum disease is allowed to progress without treatment, it can cause severe pain and infection, gum recession and deterioration of the jawbone, which could cause your implants to come loose or fall out. Your dental implant dentist will also advise you against smoking for this reason, since people who smoke are significantly more likely to develop gum disease. This is because smoking inhibits the body’s ability to fight infections like gum disease.

Finally, you should make sure that you visit a dentist regularly. They can carefully and closely monitor the health and condition of your teeth and mouth, help you to keep them clean and free from disease and in the event that you do develop a problem, diagnose and treat it promptly, before it has long-term consequences for your oral health or your dental implants. If have questions or would like to learn more about dental implant options or aftercare instructions, please call our team at Clarity Dental Center at (253) 799-1490 today!