Dental implants involves cutting through your gums to insert anchor abutments into your upper and lower jaw bones to hold your new teeth in position. After the abutments have been inserted into your mouth, it will take a little while for your gums to heal. Here is what you should expect during the healing process.
The First Week or Two after Surgery
Your mouth will usually be sore for the first few days after surgery and brushing your new teeth is typically not be recommended by a dentist. You should stay away from cold and hot foods for at least the first couple of days. Your gums will usually be extremely irritated at this stage of the healing process, and foods and beverages that are either too hot or too cold can increase the amount of pain and irritation you feel.
You should expect your gums to bleed at least a little, and sometimes a lot more, in the first couple of days. This isn't normally a cause for concern unless the bleeding is heavy and won't stop. In this case, call the dentist immediately – it could be a sign of an underlying health issue you are not aware of and you may need to seek immediate medical attention.
If you start to experience a lot of swelling, wrap some ice cubes in a towel and press it against the side of your face where the swelling is occurring.
Instead of brushing your new teeth, use lukewarm water rinses to remove any foods that might cling to the implants.
If you still have natural teeth, or previous implants that have healed, you can brush those normally – just make sure you stay away from the area of the gums that are healing.
The dentist will often provide medication to reduce the amount of inflammation and pain you might experience. Make sure to take the medication as prescribed to reduce any feelings of discomfort.
A Week or More after Surgery
Things start to get a lot better about a week after dental implant surgery. The swelling should go down and the bleeding should stop – if it doesn't, call your dentist.
You can start to eat normally again after a couple of weeks, and the hot and cold foods should stop bothering you. You should also be able to start chewing normally again without any pain or discomfort.
You can also start brushing all your teeth normally again.
If you are still having problems with the healing process after two weeks, call your dentist right away. For more information, talk to company like Alliance Family Dental.
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