By Gentle Touch Dentistry Richardson
What to expect?
Post dental implants, chances are that you would be facing some soreness for a few days. You would instinctively take some special care of the implant unless you feel fully recovered.
However, you are bound to have a few questions about caring for your implant, “What should I eat?”, “Should I brush or floss the area?”, “Should I take medications after dental implants to heal faster?”, “How should I deal with the implant stitches with proper care?”
These are the questions that this article aims to answer for you, with a complete guide to help you care for your implant.
Firstly, maintain your hygiene
Do not hesitate to brush or floss. You may tend to brush or floss less as a preventive measure, but it would do more harm than good.
Brush the area around the area gently, but do brush regularly. The same goes for flossing. You may use implant-specific flosses for a few days post the implant.
Consider using a low abrasive toothpaste. This would prevent the burning sensations post brushing. It would also help the area around the implant to heal quicker.
You may even consider rinsing your mouth with hot saltwater. It works wonders for your healing process!
Take painkillers in prescribed doses
Ibuprofen is the most recommended painkiller that is recommended for this purpose. Since the pain is expected to be tolerable, do not take a painkiller unless it gets intolerable.
If you consider taking other medications than ibuprofen or paracetamol, consult your dentist first. Not all medications are fit for your situation since most have specific side effects.
Also, ensure that you do not take more than your prescribed doses.
Use ice packs to heal swelling
Do not do what most patients tend to do- pressing against it to check how much it has swollen! Use ice packs instead. If you feel that you are experiencing some unusual swelling in your cheek, applying ice packs for 10 minutes at a time does no harm!
It is advised by most dentists to rather apply the ice pack wrapped in a dry towel, instead of applying it directly on your cheek. This is because too much cold could trigger sensitivity during the healing process.
Watch what you eat and drink
Your dentist is most likely to recommend you not to have anything hot (like a hot glass of milk) post the implant. However, I do not have anything very cold either. The idea is to keep the implant area away from any sort of sensitivity.
Avoid carbonated soft drinks at all costs. They have acidic content, which could harm the surgical area. For a week at least, do not consider any drink apart from room-temperature water.
When it comes to what you eat, do not have anything acidic, especially fruits that have citric acid, like oranges and lemons. Avoid tomatoes to some extent as well. Do not have anything hard that would put pressure on the implant. It takes time for the implant to heal around the bone. Putting pressure on it may damage the healing process. Also, chew your food keeping it away from the surgical area. Also, do not keep disturbing the area with your tongue!
That, apart from the obvious fact that you must stay away from smoking and drinking for the first week and a half, is all you need to care about for your implant. In case you do feel a sustained soreness or swelling that keeps getting worse, consult your dentist right away before taking any sort of medication.