Post Dental Implant Instructions

Once the local anaesthetic starts to wear off, please start taking an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) immediately to alleviate moderate post-operative pain as long as you are not allergic to it or have other medical reasons to avoid it.

For cases of more severe pain, you may be given a prescription pain medicine. Take this drug as directed. To reduce the likelihood that you will experience nausea and vomiting, it is best to take pain medication with food and fluids. Prescription pain medication can also cause dizziness and/or grogginess. Do not drive, operate a motorised vehicle, or participate in any behaviour that could injure you or others when taking prescription pain medicine for your safety and the safety of others.

After a procedure like this, it is not uncommon to experience swelling, pain and/or bruising. For the first 24 hours after the procedure, you can use an ice pack to bring down the swelling. Hold the ice pack for 20 minutes at a time on the side of your face, then leave it off for 20 minutes. Repeat this as needed.

Bleeding is completely normal after a dental implant operation, as you might expect. Our team at Empress Walk Dental will give you a gauze pad to stop the bleeding. Before being changed for a fresh pad, this pad should be left in place for about an hour. If you switch to a new gauze pad, fold and moisten it before you put it in your mouth. Apply pressure to the gauze in a gentle but firm way, but do NOT chew on it as it will make the bleeding worse. You should remove the gauze again after 45 minutes to an hour, repeating the above steps until the bleeding slows down.

If the bleeding is particularly bad, you might want to try using a tea bag instead of a gauze pad – the tea contains tannins that can sometimes help stop a wound from bleeding. It is important not to spit excessively as it can intensify the bleeding. One should lie still and keep the head raised in order to limit the bleeding. If the bleeding persists, then please contact our office and we will help you

Post operation activity should be very limited. Working out in the gym or other forms of exercise can cause throbbing or bleeding. We recommend that one should be cautious and be careful not to aggravate the surgery.

Because you are likely to be unable to eat solid foods, your energy levels may be lower than normal and you may be too tired to exercise as you would normally. Make certain that you have plenty of rest. Use an abundance of caution in your activity levels in the first day or two after the operation.

To facilitate the healing process, you will need to start taking fluids as soon as possible after your surgery. Unless you've been told otherwise, solid food will be off limits for a while. You should not put pressure on your surgical site(s) under any circumstances. Food, fruit and vegetable juices, sports drinks, and broth soups (chicken or beef) are some of the liquids you can seek to eat. Specific dietary instructions will be provided on the day of the surgery. We encourage our patients to contact us if they have additional questions.

To prevent infection, the dentist at Empress Walk Dental will treat you with an antibiotic. Please ensure that you are taking this medication as prescribed for the full duration of time as directed on the package. Please stop taking the antibiotic if you experience some itching or develop a sudden rash and call our office immediately as you may have an allergic reaction.

Patients taking oral contraceptives should be advised that the effectiveness of birth control pills is reduced by antibiotics. For the remainder of the cycle, alternative methods of birth control should be used to prevent pregnancy most effectively. Constipation is often a side effect and can be easily treated with an over-the-counter laxative such as Milk of Magnesia.

Good oral hygiene is very important for fast healing. A chlorhexidine oral rinse (Peridex) will be recommended by your dentist and should be used the night before your surgery before you go to bed. Use the oral rinse twice a day on the day after the surgery – once after breakfast and once before going to sleep. Before spitting out the Peridex, rinse your mouth for a full 30 seconds.

You will also need to rinse your mouth out at least 4 to 5 times a day, especially after eating, with a warm salt water mixture (one teaspoon of salt dissolved in a cup of warm water). Brushing your teeth and even the metal abutments is not a concern, although at first you will want to be careful when brushing around the surgical site(s).

Alcohol may impact the healing process and also interacts negatively with prescription pain medication. Avoid alcohol for at least 1 week after the surgery.

We recommend that smoking should be AVOIDED in all its forms, as it is the leading cause for implant failure.

Whether you normally wear dentures, flippers, or partial dentures, you will need to refrain from doing so immediately after your surgery because these tools will put pressure on the surgical site(s), which is very harmful to the healing process. At the time of your operation, we will give you more specific instructions on any prosthesis you may be using.

We will give you instructions on when to return for your follow-up appointment before you leave our office after your treatment is over. A follow-up appointment is absolutely critical to your treatment's progress as the dentist needs to ensure that you are properly recovering. When leaving our office please make sure you book your follow-up appointment and attend that appointment. If you are instructed to call us later to schedule the follow-up appointment, please ensure you do so.