After Placement of Dental Implants

Home Instructions After Dental Implant Surgery

After dental implant surgery, Dr. Stastny and his team will give you specific instructions based on your procedure. As a general rule, it is important to keep the area clean. You may have a metal healing abutment on your implant protruding through the gingival (gum) tissue. If you do it is important to brush this and keep it very clean. If you do not have an abutment in place, or if the area is too tender to brush use a cotton swab to clean around the area until the gum tissue has healed.

Bleeding

Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal. Excessive bleeding (your mouth fills rapidly with blood) can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 1 hour. If bleeding continues profusely, please call for further instructions.

Swelling

Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery. To minimize swelling apply an ice bag, or a plastic bag or towel filled with ice, on the cheek in the area of surgery. Apply the ice for 15 minutes of each hour for the first 36 hours.

Diet

After your surgery, drink plenty of fluids. Avoid hot liquids and food until the numbness has worn off. Soft food and liquids should be eaten on the day of surgery. Return to a normal diet as soon as possible unless otherwise directed.

Pain

You should begin taking pain medication before you feel the local anesthetic wearing off. Start with Tylenol or the prescription ibuprofen you may have been given. As the numbness goes away you can continue with the Tylenol and ibuprofen if needed. If this is not controlling your discomfort you should continue taking the ibuprofen and replace the Tylenol with the stronger prescription pain medication. Take the medications as directed on the bottles unless specifically instructed otherwise by Dr. Stastny.

Do not take any of the above medication if you are allergic to them, or have been instructed by your doctor not to take it. Do not drive an automobile or work around machinery. Avoid alcoholic beverages. Pain or discomfort following surgery should subside more and more every day. If pain persists, it may require attention and you should call the office.

Antibiotics

Be sure to take the prescribed antibiotics as directed to help prevent infection.

Oral Hygiene

Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing. The night before surgery, use the prescribed Oral Rinse before bed. The day after surgery, the prescription oral rinse should be used twice daily; after breakfast and before bed. Be sure to rinse for at least 30 seconds then spit it out.

Also, use warm salt water rinses (one teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) should be used after every time you eat.

Brush your teeth and the healing abutments. Be gentle initially while brushing the surgical areas.

Activity

Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. If you exercise, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If this occurs, you should discontinue exercising. Keep in mind that you are probably not taking in normal nourishment. This may weaken you and further limit your ability to exercise.

Wearing your Prosthesis

If you wear a partial denture, flipper, or full denture, Dr. Stastny usually is able to adjust it so you are able to continue wearing it immediately after surgery. However, in some instances, a period of healing may need to occur before they can be worn.

If you have additional questions please go the Downloadable Instructions page or call our office Blue Ash Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Office Phone Number (513) 984-2100.