The process of recovering and healing dental implant surgery may seem intimidating, but it’s worth it. Implants are the best way to permanently restore missing teeth, and healing from dental implants is actually faster than some other common oral surgeries, such as tooth extractions.
Wondering what to expect? Let’s take a look at the healing timeline after you get dental implants from the office of Dr. Priti Naik, and discuss what you can expect.
You won’t feel any pain immediately after surgery, but after your sedation and numbing wear off, some pain is to be expected. Before you leave, Dr. Naik will place a gauze pack over your surgical site. Bite down on this and keep it in place for 30-60 minutes so that blood clots properly at the surgical site. You may need to swap to a few new gauze packs before blood slows and stops.
You can eat at any time after surgery, but stick to soft foods like yogurt, smoothies, broth, and other foods that don’t require chewing. Go home after your appointment and rest and relax. Keep your head elevated above your feet to reduce bleeding and discomfort.
Swelling, pain, and bleeding usually peak and then start to fade within 24-48 hours of your surgery. During this time, you should continue eating only soft foods, and you should avoid heavy exertion or exercise, as it can cause discomfort or even bleeding, in some cases.
You can brush your other teeth normally, but should not brush the implant site directly. You can use a prescription mouth rinse or salt water rinse to clean the implant site. Avoid spitting and rinsing forcefully, since this can interfere with the blood clotting and healing process.
About a week after surgery, you should not be feeling much pain. Your mouth also should not be bleeding. You may be able to eat slightly more firm foods like pasta, though you should chew on the opposite side of your dental implant when possible.
At this time, your sutures will usually start to dissolve if self-dissolving sutures were used. If not, you’ll need to see Dr. Priti Naik to have them removed. You may be able to start brushing the implant site and nearby teeth.
Between 1-2 weeks after your surgery, you’ll see Dr. Priti Naik for a follow up so that she can check on your recovery progress. She will examine your implant and may take x-rays to ensure it’s healing properly.
After about 2 weeks, your implant should feel almost completely normal. The implant may feel a bit tender and sore if you touch it, but there should be no significant pain, swelling, or inflammation.
From now on, you should be able to resume your normal diet and activities with no issues throughout the 3-6 month period that it will take for your implant to permanently bond with the underlying jaw bone.
Dr. Priti Naik is an experienced implant dentist in Vienna, Tysons Corner, and McLean. If you are interested in permanently restoring your missing teeth with dental implants, Dr. Naik is here to help. Contact our office online or call us at (703) 288-1800 to schedule an appointment today, and see if dental implants are right for you.