After Placement of Dental Implants

Do not disturb the wound. Avoid rinsing, spitting, or touching the wound on the day of surgery. In some cases, there will be a metal healing abutment (post) protruding through the gum tissue.

Bleeding

Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours. Excessive bleeding can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes. If bleeding continues please call for further instructions.

Swelling

Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery. To minimize swelling we will provide you with a reusable ice pack that can be placed over the surgical site on a 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off schedule. Use of the ice pack beyond 24 hours often provides little benefit, and in some cases, can make you more uncomfortable.

Diet

Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid hot liquids or food. Soft food and liquids should be eaten on the day of surgery. Return to a normal diet as soon as possible unless otherwise directed.

Pain

You should begin taking pain medication as soon as you feel the local anesthetic wearing off. Dr. McCann or the Nursing Staff will review the proper use of all pain medications, be they prescription or otherwise.

Antibiotics

Be sure to take the prescribed antibiotics as directed to help prevent infection.

Oral Hygiene

Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing. The use of saltwater rinses in the early post-operative period is encouraged. Additionally, you may choose to use over-the-counter mouth rinse as part of your oral hygiene regimen. Look for the alcohol-free rinses that are found in the oral hygiene aisle of your pharmacy. It is also important to brush gently around the healing abutment in the first few days following surgery. If you are too aggressive, sutures may break loose and cause wither bleeding or discomfort.

Activity

Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. If you are considering exercise, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If this occurs, you should discontinue exercising. Keep in mind that you are probably not taking normal nourishment. This may weaken you and further limit your ability to exercise.

Wearing your Prosthesis

Partial or complete dentures are generally left out of the mouth for the first week following implant placement.  When you return for follow-up, please ensure that you bring your denture with you as Dr. McCann will adjust the prosthesis to allow use during the remainder of the healing process. On occasion, it may be necessary to leave the prosthesis out for longer than a week, but every effort will be made to minimize this inconvenience.