Dental Implant After Surgery Care

Before your scheduled dental implant surgery, Dr. Delaram Hanookai DDS will discuss your after surgery care instructions. You’ll know what supplies to have ready for proper short and long term maintenance of your implants. And, your dentist will tell you what dietary changes are needed to help the healing process. When you have made the decision to get the best Los Angeles Dental Implants available, you can avoid or prevent after surgery complications when practicing the following care instructions.

Dental Implant Care On Day of Surgery

Because each patient is different, you may be given anesthesia before your partial or full mouth dental implants are put in. If you do have anesthesia, Southland Dental Care requires that you stay in the office until it wears off. We recommend that you have someone with you who can drive you home.

The gauze pack that Dr. Delaram Hanookai DDS puts in your mouth at the end of the surgery needs to remain in place for 1 hour. You hold the gauze firmly in place by using gentle pressure on your new dental implants. You can change the gauze after 30 minutes if you experience bleeding that will not stop. After the first hour, the wet gauze can be exchanged for a dry one at 30 to 45-minute intervals for the rest of the day.

Typical First Day Signs of Healing

  • Small amounts of continued bleeding at the gum lines
  • Face swelling at the jawline
  • Pain at the surgery sites
  • Dry lips or throat
  • Stiff or tight jaw muscles
  • Oozing saliva from holding your teeth together

Tips for Recovery during the First 24 Hours

  • Get lots of rest
  • Do not inspect or disturb the surgery sites
  • Apply ice on the outside of your face at the surgery sites using either an ice pack or ice wrapped in a towel for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off
  • Gently brush your teeth before going to bed using a toothbrush with soft bristles
  • Take recommended pain medication as needed and approved by Southland Dental Care
  • If approved by your dentist, resume normal prescriptions taken for personal health issues
  • Drink lots of cool liquids such as water, milk, and non-acidic juice from a glass without a straw
  • Try not to sneeze or only sneeze with your mouth open
  • No smoking of any tobacco product

Dental Implant Care on Days 2 to 4 After Surgery

  • Follow the recovery tips listed above
  • Gently rinse with warm salt water every couple of hours, but no vigorous rinsing
  • Run your toothbrush with warm water to soften the bristles and continue gently tooth brushing
  • Do not drink any alcohol, coffee, caffeinated drinks, or carbonated beverages sodas or citrus juices
  • Alter your diet to include soft, nutritional foods such as apple sauce, scrambled eggs, cooked cereals, yogurt, broth or clear soups, mashed potatoes, broiled fish, ground beef, soft bread, ice cream, Jell-O
  • No heavy lifting or strenuous physical activities
  • Treat pain with warm compresses for 5 minutes at a time
  • Try not to sneeze or only sneeze with your mouth open
  • No smoking of any tobacco product

Dental Implant Care for Weeks 1 to 4 After Surgery

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