Simple Care Tips to Protect Your Dental Implants After Surgery

About 500,000 Americans receive dental implants each year to replace damaged, missing, or extracted permanent teeth.

Dental implants are small titanium screws that are placed into your jawbone where teeth are missing. They integrate with the bone over time, providing a strong foundation for crowns, bridges, or implant-retained dentures and partials. 

At Family Dental Group, with offices in Gardner, Northborough, and Paxton, Massachusetts, Nikhil Lavana, DMD, Archana Kharkanis-Lavana, DMD, and our team specialize in implant dentistry. Here, they provide expert tips to support your recovery after dental implant surgery.

Tip #1: Follow post-surgery instructions

Dental implants carry some risk of infection and other postsurgical side effects. There’s no way to prevent these risks altogether, but you can help keep your mouth healthy by carefully following our recovery instructions.

Take your medication as prescribed and avoid strenuous activity, such as exercising or lifting. It’s normal to experience mild pain and swelling in the days following your procedure. Eat soft, nutritious foods for the first 48 hours, such as scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and oatmeal. You’ll be able to expand your diet as your mouth begins to heal, but it’s important not to rush the process.

Tip #2: Practice good oral hygiene

For the first 24 hours after surgery, avoid brushing or flossing your teeth. Once that time passes, you can return to your normal routine. Brush your teeth twice daily and floss regularly to prevent bacteria and food particles from collecting on your dental implants or beneath your gums.

It’s important to be careful. Use a soft-bristle toothbrush, and if you use mouthwash, make sure it’s alcohol-free until your mouth fully heals. Brushing too hard can prevent the implants from integrating with your bone and increase the risk of complications.

Tip #3: Look for signs of complications

Dental implant surgery is considered safe and typically well-tolerated, with about 95% of operations deemed successful. Still, it’s important to catch potential problems early on before they lead to more serious issues.

Check for signs of bleeding or swelling each time you brush and floss your teeth. If you continue to experience pain days or even weeks after placement, tell us. These symptoms typically aren’t serious, but an oral exam and dental X-rays can provide peace of mind and lower the risk of dental implant failure.

Tip #4: Adjust your eating and drinking habits

You already know you’ll need to eat soft foods for a few days after dental implant surgery, but that’s only half the battle. It’s also important to consume nutritious meals that support healing and lower inflammation.

Everyone’s dietary needs vary, but we recommend eating balanced meals containing nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Avoid hard, crunchy, sticky, and spicy foods until we give you the all-clear to resume your normal diet. Likewise, stay hydrated and avoid drinking from a straw for at least 48 hours, as it can lead to a painful dry socket and set back healing.

Tip #5: Avoid alcohol and tobacco

Drinking alcohol and smoking can affect healing and increase your risk of infection after dental implant surgery. You don’t have to give up these activities for good, but you do need to refrain for at least a week, and sometimes longer.

Some people find this frustrating, but it’s an important step toward recovery. Rushing back into either of these activities too quickly can affect your results, so try to be patient.

We can help you prepare for dental implant recovery

Getting dental implants is an effective way to restore your smile and improve your oral health, but following your recovery instructions is essential to the process. If you’re unsure what to expect, we can help. Call our nearest office or book online to schedule your appointment today.