After Dental Implant Surgery

There will be a metal healing abutment that protrudes through the gum tissue when you return home. It’s important to be mindful of not disturbing the wound and avoid rinsing, spitting, or touching it on the day of the surgery.

A little bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours after surgery. Excessive bleeding, such as your mouth quickly filling with blood, can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes. If excessive bleeding continues, please call us for further instructions.

Swelling is normal after surgery. You can reduce and minimize swelling by applying ice either in a bag or wrapped in a towel on the cheek in the area of the procedure. Apply the ice continuously, as much as possible, for the first 36 hours.

You should stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids. Items to avoid include hot liquids or hot food. Start with soft food and beverages on the day of surgery. After the first day, you can return to a normal diet as soon as possible unless otherwise directed.

Pain and discomfort after surgery should subside with each day. We will offer you options to manage pain with either over-the-counter medications for moderate pain or a prescription for severe pain. Do not take any of the following if you are allergic to them or have been instructed by us to avoid them. If you are taking a prescription painkiller, you should not drive an automobile or operate machinery. When taking any medication, you should not consume alcoholic beverages.

• Moderate Pain – You can start taking over-the-counter pain medication as soon as you begin to feel the local anesthetic wearing off. We suggest either Tylenol or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) for moderate pain. You can take one or two tablets of either Tylenol or Extra-Strength Tylenol every three to four hours. Ibuprofen comes in 200 mg tablets, and you can take two to three tablets at a time, four times daily, but an adult 18 years or older should not exceed 3200 mg per day. Please consult us for any patient under 18. These two medications should not be taken at the same time.
• Severe Pain – If you’re experiencing severe pain, we may prescribe medication, and you should follow the dosage instructions provided with the subscription.

Antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent infection. It’s important that you follow prescription instructions carefully and take the antibiotics for the entire length of the prescription.

Even though the area of the surgery may be sensitive, it’s still critical to practice good oral hygiene to promote proper healing. We will prescribe you Peridex Oral Rinse to use the night of the surgery before bed. The day after surgery, use the Peridex rinse once in the morning after breakfast and then again at night before bed. A rinse with Peridex should last for 30 seconds before spitting it out. Rinse with a warm salt-water solution (1 tsp salt w/ 1 copy warm water) four to five times per day, especially after meals. Very gently brush your teeth and the healing abutments with special care around the surgical area.

You should limit activity to a minimum right after surgery. Exercise may cause throbbing or bleeding. If you experience this, stop exercising and give the mouth more time to heal.

If you have partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures, you should not use them immediately after surgery for at least 10 days.