South Ogden
After Dental Implant Surgery
After Dental Implant Surgery in South Ogden and Kaysville, UT
While prevention is always the ideal option when it comes to dental surgery, sometimes life happens and, due to illness, injury, or error, you might find yourself with the need for a dental implant following a tooth extraction. When this happens, many patients are quite concerned with the dental implant surgery process. This is an understandable worry! At Cassity & Legacy Implants and Periodontics, we want our patients to feel comfortable and stress free. That is especially true when it comes to dental implant surgery, as worrying only makes the process harder. There are some simple steps you can follow after surgery to minimize recovery time and help keep your oral health on the right track.
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Right After Surgery
Right after your dental implant surgery, you will need someone to drive you home. The first thing to do, then, is to ensure that you have a driver lined up! After that, it is time to think about how you can best care for your mouth in order to ensure that the healing process continues uninterrupted. First of all, expect some bleeding after the procedure is complete. This is normal. In order to help stem the blood flow, make sure you have plenty of clean gauze on hand. Roll or fold some gauze into a stack, and gently place it directly over the extraction site. Bite down and apply continuous pressure for 30 to 45 minutes without interruption. Gently remove the gauze at this point in time, and see how the bleeding is doing. If necessary, apply clean gauze and repeat the process a few more times.
Each time you perform the above, you should notice a decrease in bleeding. If you are still heavily bleeding after applying pressure and replacing the gauze four or five times, call our office for more help. Additionally, help minimize your chances of heavy bleeding by avoiding vigorous activity or exercise.
Once the bleeding stops, it is important to allow the blood clot to fully form over the extraction site as the clot helps promote healing and protects your socket. To this end, do not use a straw or smoke for several days after the surgery to avoid creating suction that might dislodge the blood clot. You should also avoid warm beverages and food as they could dissolve the clot and take you back to square one.
Whether you were given a prescription pain medication or are using OTC painkillers, have your pain reliever ready to go. As soon as the anesthesia begins to wear off, start taking the medicine as directed. Consider sitting up rather than lying down and applying cold compresses to your face over the affected area in order to avoid swelling.
Make sure you maintain your oral health routine. Rinse your mouth gently with warm water or saltwater to help clean out any excess blood, and gently brush and floss your teeth as normal.
Finally, remember to take in plenty of fluid and nutrients. Consider meal replacement shakes if you cannot eat solid foods.
If you'd like to learn more about or have more questions about dental implants, check out our Dental Implant FAQs page.
For more information or clarification, give Cassity & Legacy Implants and Periodontics a call today at call us at South Ogden: 385-835-3630 or Kaysville: 385-786-9652!