How to care for dental implants post-surgery

Have you recently had dental implants Melbourne fitted and aren’t sure how to manage them at home? Our team at High Dental has all of the top tips for keeping your oral implants healing nicely and ensuring that your oral health remains in top shape post-surgery.

So what are some of the best tips we can offer for managing the immediate aftercare of dental implants Melbourne?

Gauze, gauze, gauze!

When you have had your dental implants Melbourne fitted, there will be bleeding and there will be oozing. This is normal post-surgery and should be expected (in small amounts) for the next 7 days.

So to keep the implant site clean and clear of debris, and of course, to stop the bleeding, we recommend using clean gauze to bite down onto the implant site. Do this as often as needed and of course, if you have concerns, please call us!

Cleaning

For the first few days after you have had your dental implants fitted, you will need to avoid brushing your teeth. Yes, you read that right!

OK, so technically, you should still be brushing your natural teeth, but switch to a soft-bristled toothbrush and to clean around the implant site, use salt water. At your first check-up with our team post-fitting, we will be able to better advise you on when you can go back to using your regular toothbrush to clean your teeth and around the implant(s), so be patient!

Soft foods

While it is not popular with many people, when it comes to eating after you have had implants fitted, you will need to stick to softer foods for a while. You should also take care to avoid spicy or acidic foods as well, as these can irritate your gums.

Why? Because if you consume hard foods, this can apply pressure to your implant and may cause it to move. And as you can imagine, an implant that fuses at an odd angle will not do much good when our team tries to apply the prosthetic tooth or teeth!

If you are concerned that your implant has moved, come and see our team.

Pain relief

As obvious as it may sound, before you have oral implants fitted, you should invest in some pain-relieving medications and tools.

As a general rule, it is best to use paracetamol; aspirin and ibuprofen can cause the blood to become thinner, thus delaying the healing process and increasing the chances of bruising. It may also be worth investing in a hot and cool pack to gently apply to your face post-fitting to help with any swelling which may occur.

If you wish to learn more about how to manage discomfort post-implant fitting, please talk to our team.

Lifestyle

When it comes to oral implants, lifestyle choices in both the short and the long term can be the difference between implants that last for over 15 years, and implants that fail to fuse.

If you smoke, this can reduce the chances of your implants lasting and may actually delay them from fusing due to the inflammation that smoking causes.

Similarly, if you drink alcohol, this can dehydrate the body, which may once again cause delays to your implants fusing.

Should you wish to quit smoking, our team at High Dental would be more than happy to offer you smoking cessation advice, so don’t hesitate to contact us.

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.