You’ve finally decided to take the plunge and get dental implants. Dental implants are a great way to get your smile back and restore your oral health. We’re happy for you and honored for choosing Tranquility Dental Arts.
Now comes the healing process, which brings with it a variety of new symptoms and questions. Namely: What is the Healing Process After Dental Implants?
Well, everyone’s healing process is different, so it’s important to follow your dentist’s instructions as closely as possible during each step of the recovery period. That said, there are certain milestones you can expect during this exciting journey back to full oral health.
1. 0-24 Hours After Surgery
During the first 24 hours after surgery, you’ll likely not feel any major pain or discomfort due to the sedatives and numbing agents administered during your procedure. It’s normal for some bleeding to occur for up to 24 hours or longer; however, it should mostly slow within 1-2 hours.
Also, depending on the location of the dental implant site and the amount of bleeding, your Placentia dentist may place a sterile gauze sponge over your implant site and ask you to bite down on it for 30-60 minutes. This helps promote clot formation and reduce any potential swelling.
Wondering if you can eat during this period? The answer is yes! However, stick to soft foods for now – think warm soup, smoothies, and mashed potatoes.
2. 3-7 Days After Surgery
During this stage, the gums should be healing nicely. There should be minimal discomfort and no bleeding. Soreness around the implant may still be an issue but this is expected as some swelling continues for 5-7 days post-surgery. You may want to take ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory medication if needed, although it’s best to consult with your dentist first.
As far as eating goes, you can start eating slightly firmer foods, but avoid hard foods as much as possible.
3. 1-2 Weeks After Surgery
After 1-2 weeks of a dental implant being placed, the area around the implant should have healed significantly. The site may feel tender, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not healed.
You may also notice your sutures are dissolving. However, if your sutures are non-dissolving, you will need to visit the dentist and they’ll remove them.
At this point, you can return back to eating hard foods again without any issues – just be careful when doing so!
Dental implants can be a wonderful way to improve your smile and overall health, but it’s important that they’re cared for properly during the healing process in order to ensure that they heal correctly. Knowing what to expect and understanding the basics of the healing process can help you prepare and plan to get optimal results from your dental implants.
Contact Tranquility Dental Arts!
If you are considering getting dental implants and looking for a reliable dentist, Tranquility Dental Arts is here for you. Contact Dr. Nguyen today!