Dental Implant After Care

After Care is as Important as the Implant Itself

For a quick recovery, patients should remember to take care of their dental implants as it ensures long-term success of their surgery.

Importance of Dental Implant After Care

Caring for Your Teeth

Getting a dental implant done requires some level of after care, because it is a kind of surgery that’s taking place in your mouth. And the mouth harbours a lot of bacteria that you cannot afford to just ignore. Proper after care is vital for any surgery, be it in the mouth or anywhere else.

The dental implant procedure involves replacing teeth roots with metal screw-like posts which replaces missing or damaged teeth to make it look almost natural. And just like any other minor surgery, you have some sort of a short recovery period too.

Certain dental implants may require time and would involve several procedures. It would also depend on the type of implant and the condition of the jawbone. Healing takes time as you need solid support for the new teeth.

Good Habits You Can Focus On

So, once the dental implant procedure is done, you need to take certain precautions to ensure there are no complications. If you don’t, then the area around the implant and the implant itself will not heal well and you may have to go through several short-term and long-term complications.

You have to be extremely mindful of what you consume. For the first two days after the implant procedure, avoid any kind of hot foods or drinks. It would be good to consume only soft, comfort foods until you have healed well. Avoid the implant area if possible, and rinse your mouth with mouthwash once you are done.

Don’t mess with the implant area. You might want to check up on the area with your fingers or tongue to see how it’s doing. Curb that feeling as it might slow the healing process.

Good oral hygiene and a healthy lifestyle are good habits that you have to develop. Of course, visiting the dentist is also equally important. On the other hand, you have to avoid certain habits like smoking and drinking alcohol as that can really make the efforts futile.

Special Care Instructions

You have to aggressively maintain the implants daily, so flossing is very, very important.
You can use electric or sonic toothbrushes a week or two after the implant surgery.
You have to drink plenty of fluids, but don’t swirl liquid over the area.
Eat soft foods for at least a day after the implants.
You must take the prescribed antibiotics as directed by the dentist.
Practice oral hygiene techniques from day one.

Some Do’s and Dont’s

Do brush and floss regularly, especially the area around the implant.
Do keep the area clean, so to avoid infections in the area.
Do use a mouthwash to rinse thoroughly.
Don’t smoke as it can be delay the healing process. You refrain from this habit until the implant is sufficiently healed.
Don’t use toothpaste containing abrasive ingredients, it would remove the glaze on the implants.
Don’t eat hard or sticky foods for a while.