Implant Post-Op Home Care

An implant placement and/or bone graft is a surgical operation. The following temporary side effects usually occur as a normal consequence of surgery:

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• Swelling and bruising - this can be significant

• Nose bleed

• Discomfort and bleeding

• Difficulty opening your mouth, eating and speaking

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General Points:

• Do not blow your nose, smoke, drink through a straw or lift your cheek to look at the suture.

• If you sneeze, do so with your mouth open to lessen the pressure.

• If your nose bleeds a lot or if you become away of hard granules in your mouth or nose, contact the doctor's office for further advice and care.

• Do not rinse your mouth for the remainder of the day - if you do rinse, the clot of blood may be washed away and bleeding may start again.

• If bleeding continues, please contact the office for further advice and care.

• If the blood clot is lost, there is a greater risk of infection. this is indicated by increasing pain on/ after the 3rd day of healing.

• Do not perform vigorous exercise for 7-14 days.

• Do not drink excessive amounts of alcohol for 3-5 days as this may cause bleeding.

• Sutures placed will dissolve over the course of 5-10 days but are usually removed at your follow-up visit

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Pain Relief:

• We will provide you with prescriptions on your way out for a pain reliever and antibiotic. Use as directed.

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Oral Hygiene:

• Use a warm salt water rinse twice a day for 1 week

• Clean the rest of your teeth as normal.

• Use caution when cleaning around the area of surgery and do not pull on sutures

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Eating:

• Eat soft foods such as soup, pasta, well-cooked vegetables, eggs, etc. Remove any crusts from bread if they are hard. Progress to firmer foods once the discomfort and soreness wears off. Avoid spicy foods.

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Day of Treatment:

• Take your prescription medications as directed. You may expect to have some discomfort when the anesthesia wears off. You should consistently feel better each day. If discomfort increases after 3-4 days, please call the office.

• During the first 4-6 hours after surgery, use an ice pack to minimize swelling. Do not put ice directly on your skin.

• Significant bleeding should stop after 30 minutes, however it is normal to see some blood in your saliva for 24 hours. Continue to bite on a piece of gauze or moistened tea bag if bleeding persists.

• Start using Vitamin D with Magnesium and Vitamin K to enhance bone remodeling and growth for the next 6 weeks.

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After 24 Hours

• Continue to take your prescription medications as directed.

• A warm pack can be applied to aid in comfort and reduce swelling and bruising.

• Begin to rinse gently with warm salt water. Avoid mouthwash or peroxide.

• Chew food away from the surgical site.

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After Two Weeks:

• You may resume your normal exercise routine after 2 weeks.

• There should be no need for antibiotics or pain medication.

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