How To Take Care Of Your Dental Implants
We all know that losing a tooth can be a little frightening. Luckily with today’s technology, a dental implant is the closest thing to a natural tooth. Just like with any surgery there can be complications or in this case “failed” implants. Taking proper care of your implants post-surgery is essential for proper healing.
Soft Foods
Following surgery, you will want to avoid chewing on the side of the mouth that the implant is on. If you happen to have multiple implants in different areas of the mouth, you will want to stick to a soft diet for a minimum of two weeks.
Foods such as yogurt, smoothies, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, and most pastas are good options for post-operative care.
Micromovement is critical to avoid during the healing process. It can be caused by a variety of things such as chewing directly on the implant and aggressive brushing.
Good Oral Hygiene
Contamination and bacteria can cause your implant to fail. Keeping it clean is very important. Right after implant placement, your surgeon will prescribe you with an oral rinse that has antibacterial properties. You will want to clean it twice a day by dipping a q-tip into the oral rinse and cleaning around the implant and gums.
Once you get the okay from your doctor, you can start lightly brushing the implant with your toothbrush. You will want to wait a couple of weeks to do so due to tenderness.
Take an Antibiotic
While infection risk is low if the implants are properly taken care of, taking an antibiotic after surgery will help further prevent any type of infection.
Please recognize that antibiotics can interfere with other types of medications. Ask Dr. Davis if you have any questions on conflicting medications.
Limit Physical Activity
You will want to limit your physical activity for the first few days to avoid any type of bleeding or throbbing.
Dental implants are a phenomenal choice for tooth restoration. Consider implants the same thing as your natural tooth, they require the same amount of brushing and flossing as well as regular check-ups.
Call us at the Oral and Facial Surgery Institute to schedule your consultation to see if you would be a good candidate for dental implants! (435) 220-3101
