You should avoid rinsing, spitting or touching the wound on the day of surgery. There will be a metal healing abutment protruding minimally through the gum tissue. Follow all surgery recovery instructions to help the body heal faster. Our dental implant Wichita surgeons will give you instructions for your recovery. For questions and concerns please contact your Wichita dental implant surgeon.
In the 24 hours following surgery, it’s normal to experience some bleeding or redness in the saliva. You can help control bleeding by placing gauze over the incision and biting down for 30 minutes or more. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, call our dental implants Wichita office right away.
Swelling after dental surgery is normal. A good way to help reduce swelling is to continuously apply an ice pack or a towel filled with ice to the cheek(s).
On the day of the surgery, you should only eat soft foods that are not hot. Also, remember to drink water to stay hydrated. You should also avoid any hot beverages such as coffee. Consult with your OMS surgeon, but you should be able to return to a normal diet after the pain subsides.
For these procedures, local anesthetic and long-term local anesthetic are provided. The local anesthetic will wear off in a few hours and long-term anesthetics will last for 6-8 hours. After the anesthesia wears off, pain can be controlled with an anti-inflammatory medication such as Motrin. If your pain is severe, your surgeon may prescribe narcotic pain medication with specific directions for you to follow.
Antibiotics are provided to avoid infection. Remember it is important to take antibiotics as they are prescribed and as directed by the surgeon.
Good daily oral hygiene will help your healing process. Surgeons may prescribe an oral rinse (Chlorhexadine) for you to use before bed. After dental implant surgery use the medicated rinse twice a day—once in the morning and again before bed. For best results, you should rinse for one minute before spitting the medication out. After using the rinse, don’t eat or drink anything for 30 minutes. You may also rinse with warm salt water at least 4-5 times a day (one teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water). You can gently brush your teeth with the healing abutments, and be especially careful around surgical areas.
For the first few days after surgery, keep your activity level light. You can walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike, but nothing more strenuous. Several reasons for this include that you aren’t taking in the normal amount of nourishment immediately following surgery. In addition, vigorous exercise such as running, aerobics, or weight lifting can cause bleeding, throbbing, and light-headedness. If any of those symptoms occur while exercising, stop.
Following your surgery, your dental implant Wichita surgeon will recommend partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures. This will be discussed in more detail during your preoperative consultation.
Dental implants don’t require any special treatment or cleaning or soaking. You simply do the same things you would to take care of your natural teeth including, brushing, flossing, and keeping regular appointments with your dental specialists. Following these steps will go a long way in keeping your dental implants (and your gums), healthy and strong for years to come.
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