After Placement of Dental Implants

Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours. Excessive bleeding (your mouth fills up rapidly with blood) 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 is a normal occurrence after surgery. To minimize swelling, apply an ice pack, or a plastic bag, or towel filled with ice on the cheek in the area of surgery. The ice packs should be used in a 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off fashion for the first 48 hours.

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.

You should begin taking pain medication as soon as you feel the local anesthetic wearing off. For moderate pain, 1 or 2 Tylenol or Extra Strength Tylenol may be taken every 3-4 hours. Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) may be taken instead of Tylenol. Ibuprofen, bought over the counter comes in 200 mg tablets: 2-3 tablets may be taken every 3-4 hours as needed for pain. However, if 800 mg Ibuprofen was prescribed for you, take that instead of the over the counter product.

For severe pain, the prescribed narcotic medication should be taken as directed on the pharmacy label. . Do not take any of the above medication if you are allergic, or have been instructed by your doctor not to take it.

Please contact the office if you have any questions regarding pain medications.

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

Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing. Do not rinse the day of surgery. The day after surgery, the Peridex should be used twice daily, after breakfast and before bed. Be sure to gently rinse for at least 30 seconds then spit it out. Warm salt water rinses (teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) should be used at least 4-5 times a day, as well, especially after meals. Brushing your teeth and the healing abutments is no problem. Be gentle initially when brushing the surgical areas.

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.