You probably have questions about what you should expect after dental implant surgery is complete, especially if you’ve never had oral surgery previously. Implant dentists have heard it all before, so chances are if you have a question or concern, they have an answer. Consider the most common questions below to find some answers ahead of your future tooth replacement!
What Can I Eat and When Can I Eat It?
Once the local anesthetic has worn off, you should be able to remove the gauze pad from your mouth and have something to eat. With that said, you’ll need to make sure the food is very soft (as in it requires little to no chewing whatsoever) and keep your diet this way for at least 24 hours. Do not consume anything that is very hot. Furthermore, you don’t want to drink from a straw, which can harm the implant site. By sticking to a soft diet early, such as applesauce, smoothies, cold soups, dairy products, fruit, mashed potatoes, and other foods that don’t require much chewing, you can create a healthy environment for your mouth to heal.
How Long Does Recovery Take?
The recovery process is actually shorter than most people think. For example, you can resume normal activities the day after surgery. However, you should not practice strenuous activities (such as exercise) for at least one week. This can draw blood away from the healing site, prolonging your recovery time. Make sure to continue taking either prescribed medications or over-the-counter painkillers to ease any discomfort.
Will Aftercare Hurt?
This usually depends on how complex your treatment was, but most dentists will provide you with painkillers to help manage any mild discomfort you experience during aftercare. Keep in mind that the local anesthetic you received prior to your surgery takes about two to four hours to wear off, so if you start to feel discomfort, it will be soon after this time period.
Is Bleeding Normal?
Bleeding typically stops about one to two days after surgery and is a normal part of the healing process. When you apply pressure to the treatment site, it works to prevent bleeding. If bleeding does not stop or is profuse, even after 24 hours after surgery, call the dentist you received surgery from.
It’s normal to have questions ahead of your dental implant surgery. There’s no reason to feel like any question is too simple or complicated to ask, so let the dentist know if you have one during your next visit!
About Sebastian Dental
The dentists at Sebastian Dental are highly trained to perform every stage of dental implant surgery in-house. No matter what questions you have about dental implants, they are happy to speak with you one-on-one and ease any concerns you may have. To schedule an appointment or learn more about dental implants, you can contact them through their website.