After Placement of Dental Implants

Home Instructions After Dental Implant Surgery

After dental implant surgery, do not disturb the wound. Avoid rinsing, spitting, picking or touching the wound on the day of surgery. As with any oral surgery procedure, smoking of any kind, including but not limited to (tobacco, marijuana, vape pens) should be stopped for 7 days after surgery to minimize delayed healing and pain caused by smoking. If stitches were placed they will resorb in 2-5 days, in certain cases the stitches will not breakdown and will be removed at your follow-up appointment.

Bleeding

There is usually minimal of bleeding following implant surgery. Slight bleeding, oozing or red tinged saliva is not uncommon. To control bleeding apply continuous pressure for the 30-45 minutes immediately after surgery with the gauze placed by the surgical staff. You will be given extra gauze which should be replaced every 45 minutes for 2-3 hours after surgery or until the bleeding stops. If you have bleeding beyond 4 hours you should continue to bite on the gauze with firm pressure or bite on a wet black tea bag for an additional 30 minutes. If your bleeding continues or is excessive (your mouth fills with blood in 20-30 seconds) please contact the office or doctor.

Swelling

Swelling is typically very minimal after implant surgery and does not require any intervention. If multiple teeth were removed along with the placement of your implants, you will swell a bit more. In this case you may apply an ice pack 15 minutes on and 10 minutes off during the first 6-8 hours after surgery. However, the benefits of reducing swelling with ice is limited to the first 24 hours after surgery. If significant swelling is still present or increasing at post-operative day 5 call the office for instructions.

Diet

You may drink cold liquids and eat cold soft food i.e., Ice cream, jello, pudding, yogurt, applesauce, cottage cheese the day of surgery. Avoid hot liquids and foods for the first 24 hours after surgery resuming warm soft foods the day after i.e.. eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, mashed potatoes, well cooked pasta. Refrain from eating crunchy or chewy food for 10-14 days.

Pain

You should begin taking pain medication soon after your procedure prior to the local anesthetic wearing off. As with any surgical procedure some post-operative discomfort is to be expected. OTC pain medication recommended by the doctor is to be taken exactly as directed. For Mild to Moderate pain, take either one to two tablets of Extra Strength 500mg Tylenol (Acetaminophen) or three to four tablets of 200mg Advil/Motrin (Ibuprofen) every 6-8 hours after surgery not to exceed either 3200mg ibuprofen or 4000mg acetaminophen in a 24 hour period. For Moderate to Severe pain, take acetaminophen and Ibuprofen in combination as followed: 600mg ibuprofen -3hrs- 1000mg acetaminophen -3hrs- 600mg ibuprofen -3hrs- 1000mg acetaminophen continued until pain is controlled at which time you may take less frequently or decrease the dosage. For Severe pain, the prescribed medication (often narcotic) should be taken as directed and usually will be alternated with ibuprofen. DO NOT TAKE OTC ACETAMINOPHEN ALONG WITH ANY PRESCRIBED NARCOTIC

You may have been prescribed a prescription dose of ibuprofen called Motrin 800 in which case do not take any additional OTC ibuprofen. If you have any questions about the types of or frequency in which to take pain medication please contact the office or doctor.

Do not take any of the above medications if you are allergic to them, or have been instructed by your doctor not to take them. Do not drink alcohol, drive an automobile or work around machinery while taking narcotics. Pain or discomfort should subside more and more every day. If pain persists or is increasing in nature past post-operative day 6, please contact the office.

Antibiotics

Be sure to take the prescribed antibiotics as directed until medication is complete which will help to prevent infection. Discontinue antibiotic use in the event of a rash, hives or any other unfavorable reaction and contact the office or doctor for further instruction. If you develop shortness of breathe accompanied by swelling of your throat or difficulty breathing call 911 immediately.

Oral Hygiene

Good oral hygiene is essential to healing. Begin the prescribed Peridex mouthwash the day prior to surgery using morning and night and continuing use until the bottle is empty or post-op day ten. Be sure to rinse for at least 30 seconds then spit out and do not to eat or drink for 30 minutes after use. You may begin brushing your teeth with a soft bristled toothbrush the morning after surgery avoiding the surgical site for the first 3 days. Warm salt water rinses (one teaspoon of salt in 8oz of warm water) should be used 3-4 times daily, for the first week after surgery. Since implant and bone grafting surgery is variable a different set of instructions may have been given to you which you should follow closely.

Activity

Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. If you exercise, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If this occurs, you should discontinue exercising. Keep in mind that you are probably not taking in 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. You will be given instructions at the time of surgery when you may wear your removable device.