Proper Care for Your New Smile
Oftentimes, people are nervous about getting dental work done, mostly because of the post-surgery discomfort they may experience or the risk of getting infections. It’s important when receiving our dental implant restorations to know how to take care of them on your own.
Omitting to properly care for your new smile can result in an expedited failure. Whether you’re replacing one tooth, a full arch, or an entire mouth of teeth, the success of your implants will rely on proper post-operative care and maintaining good oral health.
We Offer Simple Tips to Maintain Healthy Implants
We’ve put together a brief guide to help you care for your dental implants. In order to sustain their health, durability, and appearance, Dr. Sweeny and Dr. Bina suggest these tips:
Initial Hygiene for Your Implants
The day after your implant procedure, we recommend you begin rinsing your mouth with warm, salt water three to four times a day. This will soothe and heal your mouth sores, as well as help flush away any food particles around the site. Be sure to gently brush your teeth and gums, especially where your new restorations are.
If You Experience Pain, Bleeding, or Swelling
Minimal oral pain is typically expected when undergoing a dental procedure. To relieve any initial discomfort post-surgery, we recommend taking any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, Advil®, Motrin®, Aleve®, or Tylenol®. You’ll notice your pain to gradually diminish within the next hour or two.
Some bleeding may occur within the first 24 hours after your implant procedure, but luckily, it’ll be minimal since the wound is closed up. It’s best to apply biting pressure using gauze on the bleeding area for at least an hour.
Additionally, if you experience any swelling within the first three days, ice packs can help reduce your puffiness, as well as keeping your head elevated.
A New Diet for the First Two Weeks
On your first, post-op day, you should stick to a liquid and soft food diet. Smoothies, yogurt, mashed potatoes, ice cream, etc. are all nourishing and beneficial foods that won’t hurt your new smile. We suggest you avoid extremely hot foods, as well as any type of food with sharp edges such as chips for at least two weeks prior to your procedure because they can poke and infect your implant area.
Refrain From Certain Activites
If you’re an active individual, know that within the first 24-48 hours, we recommend you eliminate any vigorous activity. If you overexert yourself, it can lead to bleeding and discomfort around the surgical site. Just take a couple easy days off to rest and relax, ensuring your new smile properly heals without any risk of unwanted exposure.
Any Further Questions? Call Valery Sweeny, DDS
If you’ve already completed your dental implant procedure, but you’ve noticed some issues, please give us a call as soon as possible. In order to keep up with the success of your implants, any mishaps that occur should be notified to Either Dr. Sweeny or Dr. Bina.
For those who are preparing for restorations, keep this guide handy for your post-surgery recovery. It will help answer any simple questions you may while saving you time from calling our Silver Lake office. Your recovery will be done before you know it.