Dental implants are the best replacement to a missing natural tooth available in dentistry today. Dental implants have been used for more than three decades and are currently the only restoration option available that actually helps preserve your natural bone [1].
Getting a dental implant to replace a missing tooth means you now have a permanent restoration that will, with the right care, never need to be replaced. But what should you expect after getting dental implants? Here’s what you should know following your procedure.
Immediately After Your Procedure
The majority of patients can drive themselves home after their dental implant procedure, although for the next 24-48 hours, you should try to rest as much as you can and avoid any strenuous activities, including exercise.
You can expect some swelling, bruising, and minor discomfort following your procedure [2]. Some patients may see a bit of bleeding, which is normal. If you have severe pain, swelling, or bleeding, contact your dental practice as soon as possible.
Most patients can return to their normal routine about one to two days following their dental implant procedure.
What to Eat for the Next Week
For the next seven to ten days after your appointment, you’ll want to stick to foods that are easy to eat, such as soft foods. Foods to consider eating include smoothies, yogurt, pudding, pureed vegetables or fruits, eggs, and anything you can slice with a fork or eat with a spoon.
Avoid tough or hard foods such as steak, nuts, or crunchy fruits and veggies. You’ll also want to avoid extremely hot and cold foods as well as alcohol until your implant heals, and don’t drink from a straw, as this can damage your dental implant’s healing process.
Every patient’s healing time will be different. For some people, they’ll need to eat softer foods for the next few weeks while their dental implant heals.
How to Help Your Implant Heal
There are a few things you can do to help accelerate the healing of your dental implant!
- Stop smoking. Ideally, you’ll want to stop smoking before your dental implant procedure and for as long as it takes for your dental implant to heal. Smoking can increase the chances that your body will reject the dental implant or get an infection.
- Eat healthy foods. It’s easy to consume processed foods when it comes to softer foods, but explore healthier options, such as making a smoothie with fresh greens or fruits, trying avocados or bananas, or eating fish.
- Clean your smile gently. Being harsh with your toothbrush can damage your dental implant. Be sure to brush your teeth and around your new implant very gently twice a day. Before you know it, your dentist will be placing your final restoration—a dental crown—once your dental implant has healed!
While every person’s healing time will be slightly different, dental implants have a 95 percent success rate, so you have an excellent chance for healing properly after the procedure [3]. You can help your dental implant be strong and healthy by taking care of your body and your smile following your appointment!
Sources:
1. https://www.aaid-implant.org/dental-implants/what-are-dental-implants/
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/dental-implant-surgery/about/pac-
20384622
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4028797/
