After receiving dental implants, it is important to take care of your mouth and teeth through a thoughtful postoperative care plan that fosters ideal healing and shortens your recovery time.
At the Los Angeles Center for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, our experienced oral surgeons recommend the following dental implants post-op care tips for a faster and easier recovery period.
Tips for Post-op Care After Dental Implant Surgery
1. Eat Softer Foods
Swapping out harder foods for softer foods during the first month or so of your dental implant recovery period is crucial. Harder foods—like nuts and seeds, crunchy chips and crackers, or popcorn—may cause bleeding and irritate your incision. Furthermore, we recommend you avoid chewing in the surgical site area to avoid compromising it.
In addition to eating softer foods, avoid eating or drinking anything hot. Instead, soothe your mouth with cool liquids but avoid drinking them through a straw, which may disturb the dental implant site.
As your mouth continues to heal, your oral surgeon will give you instructions on what you can eat and when you may slowly begin reintroducing harder foods into your diet.
2. Prioritize Rest
Resting and relaxing are key for optimal healing and recovery. Our experienced oral surgeons recommend limiting strenuous activity for the first five to seven days after your procedure. It is particularly important to avoid any activity that may injure the face, as this may compromise the osseointegration process.
3. Use Ice to Reduce Swelling
You may experience swelling and pain for three to four days following your surgery. This swelling is completely normal, and you can reduce it with ice packs.
We recommend using ice packs in twenty-minute intervals and wrapping your ice pack in a small towel to avoid damaging the skin with direct contact.
In addition to using ice packs, you can also minimize swelling and bruising by avoiding salt and foods with high sodium content, drinking plenty of water, and staying in a propped-up position during the day and while sleeping.
4. Practice Good Oral Hygiene
As your dental implants bond with your jaw bone (osseointegration), it is important to practice good oral hygiene to foster optimal healing. During the morning and evening, brush your teeth like you normally would but try to avoid the surgical site while still healing.
After each meal, our oral surgeons recommend you rinse your mouth with a glass of lukewarm water mixed with a teaspoon of salt. This post-op tip helps to clean out any debris and reduce bacteria. You can start these rinses two to three days after your procedure and continue for about a week.
Look Forward to Your Dental Implant Recovery
The experienced oral surgeons at the Los Angeles Center for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery provide personalized, high-quality dental implant surgery to help you achieve the smile of your dreams. Learn more about dental implants on our blog or contact our office in Los Angeles at (310) 842-4811.
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