After Placement of Dental Implants

Home Instructions After Dental Implant Surgery

  • You will leave with gauze in your mouth, keep the gauze in for 30 minutes and then discard it. 
  • You will be on a soft, cold food diet for about 5 days after surgery. Here are some examples of our favorite post-op diet foods!
  • You can start taking the pain prescription immediately following surgery as long as you have food in your stomach. Continue as needed. 
  • Avoid swishing, spitting, drinking through a straw, carbonated and alcoholic beverages. 
  • Brush your teeth as normal, being careful around the implant site. 
  • Start using Peridex the night of surgery. Do NOT swish it or spit it out, instead tilt your head from side to side for about 30 minutes and then open your mouth over the sink to let it out. Continue using the Peridex twice a day for 1 week.
  • Partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures, should not be used immediately after surgery for at least 10 days, as discussed in the pre-operative consultation.

Expectations

  • Some bleeding, swelling, and bruising is perfectly normal after surgery. Bruising and swelling usually peak about 3 days after the surgery.
  • Some bleeding can last for about 24 hours. If the site is profusely bleeding, place a new, damp gauze in the site and bite down for 30 minutes. 

Next Steps

When placing your implant, we did one of two things:

  • 1. We either placed a healing abutment (a healing collar) over the implant and sutured your gum tissue around it (so it will be sticking out of your gums a little bit)
  • 2. OR we sutured your gum tissue over the implant (nothing will be sticking out). 

Either way, the implant needs to stay in your mouth for about 5 months before it will be ready to get the tooth put on by your dentist. The next steps are based on which of the above two options you went with.

  • If you went with option 1, after the 5 months of healing you will return to office where we will take an x-ray to check bone integration and we will do what’s called a torque test (checking the tightness). 5-10 minute long appointment
  • If you went with option 2, after the 5 months of healing you will return to office where we will numb you up, re-open the surgery site to expose the implant, and then place the healing abutment (healing cap that sticks out of gums). That will need to heal for about 5 days before you see your dentist. 15-20 minute long appointment. 

After we have seen you for one of the above appointments, you can contact your dentist to schedule to have the implant “restored” (have the tooth put on). 

We Are Here to Help!

Contact us with any questions or to schedule an appointment to reclaim your smile today!

Call Us Today!