Facts About Dental Implant Recovery Process
Dental implant procedures are an excellent investment. Mainly because our teeth play some vital roles in our daily lives, the two most important being chewing and smiling. While this procedure is invasive, it isn’t excessively dangerous. However, the recovery time for this procedure may extend up to several weeks. Your recovery time may differ depending on the number of implants, surgical complications, and your current health status.
What to expect after dental implant surgery?
Symptoms like pain, swelling, and bruising are common after dental implant surgery. You may also experience mild bleeding in the first 24 hours, even after completely normal implant surgery. Additionally, you may experience some discomfort in opening your mouth as well.
How long is the recovery process?
As we’ve written above, your recovery time after a dental implant surgery varies significantly due to some factors. These include the number of implants you received, any complications during the surgery, as well as your current health status.
The number of implants is directly proportional to the length of your recovery period after the procedure. More implants mean more surgical sites, more trauma, and thus more time needed by your gums to heal.
Sometimes, a bone graft is needed during dental implant surgery. Bone graft is done when your jaw isn’t as strong as required to bear the extra stress of an implant. Typically, bone grafts may take up to several weeks to grow up to an acceptable level. Pain and swelling associated with bone grafts may take months to resolve.
Surgical complications may also extend your recovery time, as well as the time for completion of your procedure in the first place.
How to speed up the recovery period?
The after-effects of dental implant surgeries typically take weeks to resolve. However, you can boost your recovery by employing these methods:
Use Ice and heat – ice and heat help subside the inflammation and pain after surgery.
Brush carefully – avoid brushing for the first few days. Rinse your mouth with warm saline water to prevent infections every few hours. Afterward, brush carefully and only use soft bristle toothbrushes to avoid injuries to the implant site.
Soft foods and beverages – it is essential only to consume soft foods and plenty of water after surgery. Avoid hard foods like nuts. Potatoes, yogurt, oatmeal, and protein shakes are some good options.
Antiseptic mouthwash – antiseptic mouthwash helps prevent infections after surgery.
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