After Placement of Dental Implants

Read information below to for home care after your dental implant surgery procedure. Call our Hutchinson office with your questions: Southwind Oral & Facial Surgery & Implant Center Hutchinson Office Phone Number 620-663-1141.

After dental implant surgery, it is important to carefully follow all post-operative Instructions and take all medications as instructed. Following these instructions will maximize the long-term outcome of your dental implant or implants. If you ever have any questions about healing or care after surgery, please don’t hesitate to call our office at any time.

• You may experience some pain and swelling for a few days after surgery. An ice pack or an unopened bag of frozen peas or corn applied to the area will keep swelling to a minimum.
• Use the pain medication as directed. Call the office if the medication doesn’t seem to be working. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if signs and symptoms of infection are gone.
• You may start with soft foods such as mashed potatoes, pasta, cottage cheese, soup, or scrambled eggs as soon as the local anesthetic wears off. Avoid very hard or sticky foods. You may resume a regular diet as soon as you feel up to it; however, please try not to chew directly on the implant sites.
• Clean your mouth thoroughly after each meal beginning the day after surgery. Brush your teeth as best as you can while being careful around the area of surgery. Rinse gently with the oral rinse, if prescribed by your doctor, or with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon salt dissolved in 8 ounces of warm water) 2-3 times a day for 1 week.
• Unless told otherwise, the sutures used during your procedure are dissolvable and will fall out on their own. This generally occurs in the first week after surgery, but timing varies from 4–10 days.
• If you have a flipper or retainer or denture, you are able to wear your appliance after surgery. Sometimes it is necessary to leave it in the night of the surgery. It is important to keep the appliance as clean as possible during the healing period.
• If you had a sinus lift at the time of surgery, do NOT blow your nose for at least 7 days (or longer, if instructed by your surgeon), as the pressure will delay or damage your sinus healing. If you have to sneeze, do NOT hold it back — sneeze out. Open your mouth and try to minimize the pressure in your nasal/sinus passages. You may use nasal decongestants, such as over-the-counter Sudafed® tablets or a nasal spray, to keep your passages dry, especially if you have noticed continued drainage or feel the need to blow your nose.

Questions:

1. Will I be able to see the implant?
a. Depending on the location and stability of the implant being placed, your surgeon may opt to bury the implant under the gum tissue. In time, you will return and have the implant uncovered so the implant can be restored. If stability is optimal, the second stage procedure can be bypassed, and an attachment is placed that protrudes through the gum tissue, which will be visible. Do not brush the implant abutment for the first 4 weeks after surgery. After one month you may use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently cleanse the abutment whenever you brush your teeth.

2. When can the crown be placed?
a. A dental crown can be attached to a dental implant once the implant has fused to the bone. The length of time the bone must heal varies from case to case and will be discussed with your surgeon. Your general dentist will take an impression or a scan in order to make the crown that connects with the implant.

3. What do I do if the healing abutment falls out?
a. The dental implant itself is generally fine, but it is important not to swallow the healing abutment. Save the healing abutment. It is not an emergency, but give our office a call, and we will schedule an appointment for you to come in and have it put back on. Do keep the area clean by gently rinsing frequently if the healing abutment has come off.