Our office will be closed from December 24th until Wednesday, January 6th. Happy Holidays!
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Our office will be closed from December 24th until Wednesday, January 6th. Happy Holidays!
Whether you’ve recently received dental implants in Lenoir City, or you’re interested in implant surgery from Lakeside Dental, you may be wondering what to expect after your surgery is over and you’re sent home. What should you expect from the healing process? In this blog, we’ll discuss topics like bleeding, maintaining proper oral hygiene, what you should eat, and more.
Your mouth may be bleeding after your appointment. Dr. Joseph Blalock will place a special gauze pack on the surgical site, and you’ll bite down on it to help your blood clot form. You may need to swap this out a few times if you keep bleeding.
Bleeding should slow and stop within a few hours, and after about 24 hours, you should not be bleeding heavily at all. You may still have pink-tinged saliva for up to 24-48 hours after surgery, though.
You will also feel some pain and discomfort after treatment. This usually peaks and fades within a day or two. You can take over-the-counter pain medicine like Tylenol to help with the pain, and ice the area to help with swelling and discomfort.
We recommend that you take the rest of the day off after your surgery, and take the next day off from work or school too, if possible. You can definitely go back to your normal routine after surgery if you have to, but you’ll feel better if you have some time to rest and relax after your treatment.
You also should avoid heavy exertion and exercise for a few days, so skip the gym and relax. Heavy exercise could cause bleeding and discomfort near the implant site, so it’s best to take things easy.
You shouldn’t brush your implant site directly for a few days. You can brush your other teeth normally, though. To clean the implant site, gently rinse and swish with a salt water rinse. Just add about ½ teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water and rinse with it. When you’re done rinsing, don’t spit forcefully, since this could dislodge your blood clot. Instead, gently let the water drip out of your mouth.
After 2-3 days, you can start brushing the implant site normally. We recommend using a soft-bristled toothbrush. Don’t use an electric toothbrush, since this could irritate or damage the implant site.
It’s best to eat a diet of soft foods for at least 1-2 weeks after your surgery. Go for really soft or liquid foods for the first day or two, like yogurt, smoothies, and pudding. After a couple of days, you can eat things like macaroni and cheese and soft scrambled eggs.
After about a week, you should be able to eat most of your favorite foods. But you should still avoid really hard, tough, or crunchy foods. Things like popcorn or tortilla chips, for example, could jab and irritate the implant site. You should hold off on eating these foods for at least 2 weeks.
Dental implants are a fantastic way to permanently restore missing teeth. And though recovering from implant surgery does take some extra care and attention, it’s worth it. If you’re interested in implant dentistry in Lenoir City, the team at Lakeside Dental is here to help.
Contact us online or give us a call at (865) 635-4999 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Joseph Blalock. As an experienced restorative dentist, Dr. Blalock can examine your mouth, assess your oral health, and help you explore all of your options for replacing your missing teeth, including dental implants. Get started today, and get the smile you deserve.
