After Dental Implant Surgery

A Good General Rule

Please try to avoid disturbing the wound on the day of surgery.

Bleeding

Some bleeding or oozing from the wound is normal for the first 24 hours. Excessive bleeding (where your mouth fills rapidly with blood) can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 - 60 minutes. If persistent bleeding occurs, soak the gauze pad in hot tap water, ring it out and place it directly over the wound. Keep firm biting or finger pressure on it. Avoid checking it for 30 minutes or more - for doing so more frequently will cause more bleeding. If this is not working, place a moistened tea bag over the wound with a gauze pad over it.  These simple tips will normally control persistent bleeding. Please call the office or Dr. Perry for further instructions if persistent bleeding continues. If you routinely take blood thinners, Dr. Perry and/or your physician will instruct you regarding how and when you will resume such medications.

Swelling

Swelling is a normal occurrence following any surgery and may vary greatly from patient to patient. To minimize swelling, apply an ice bag, or pack on the face or cheek in the area of surgery during your waking hours. There is little need to try to sleep with ice packs against the facial areas. Apply the ice intermittently for 20 - 30 minute intervals for the first 12 - 36 hours. Ice packs also provide a “numbing effect” on the wound which is most welcome following your procedure. If the ice pack you are given begins to leak, you may make one with a ZipLock bag filled with ice and wrapped in a kitchen towel. We will gladly replace the looped full face ice packs if they begin to leak - just give us a call.

Diet

Drink plenty of fluids - up to 2 quarts of liquid per day after any oral surgery.  Avoid hot liquids or food as they will promote bleeding and swelling. Soft, cool foods and liquids should be eaten on the day of surgery. Return to a normal diet as soon as possible unless otherwise directed. Avoid any foods/liquids which cause either pain or bleeding.

Pain

You should begin taking pain medication as soon as you feel the local anesthetic wearing off. For mildd to moderate pain, take over the counter pain medication. Example: 1-2 Tylenol or Extra Strength Tylenol may be taken every 3-4 hours;  Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) may be taken instead of Tylenol - or in addition to it. Ibuprofen comes in 200 mg tablets - 2-4 tablets may be taken every 6-8 hours as needed for pain. For severe pain, the prescribed narcotic (codeine) medication should be taken as directed. Do not take any of the above medications if you are allergic to them or experience unwanted side effects from them. Please notify us if you have intense pain that lasts more than 3 - 5 days.

Antibiotics

Take the prescribed antibiotics as directed to help prevent infection. No refill is needed unless you have prolonged redness, pain &/or swelling. Dr. Perry will advise you concerning refills. Please call if you have any unusual reaction or symptoms from your antibiotic.

Oral Hygiene/Wound Care

Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing. On the night of surgery, apply the prescribed Peridex Oral Rinse only to the wound area before bed. The Peridex should be used daily, at bedtime, as described. Warm salt water rinses (¼ teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) should be used after meals and before bedtime until your wound is no longer sore. Brushing your teeth and the wound should be done gently - if pain or bleeding occurs, avoid brushing such areas. Use your favorite mouthwash (diluted with an equal part of warm water) - up to three times daily to freshen your mouth.

Activity

Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. Avoid aerobic exercise, the playing of wind instruments (trumpets, saxophone, clarinet etc.), and contact sports for 5 days following your procedure. Doing any of these may cause pain, throbbing or bleeding to occur. Feeling light headed or actual fainting may occur by doing too much too soon after your procedure.

Wearing your Prosthesis

Partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures may be worn immediately after surgery unless you are instructed to do otherwise. Wire framework/clasped partials should be left out of the mouth until the bleeding has stopped. They will readily get tangled up with the gauze pads thus causing a tangled mess. If pain occurs with the wearing of a prosthesis, please remove it and advise our office if you have further concerns. Because of natural wound swelling, a denture that is left out for several hours, may not fit well for 5 or more days.

Sutures

Dr. Perry normally uses resorbable (self-dissolving) sutures. Please avoid disturbing these stitches with your tongue as doing so will cause the best tied sutures to unravel and be lost prematurely. The sutures will normally last for 5-10 days before being lost. You may carefully trim any long ends with a scissor - or have someone you trust do the same - or call us and we’ll trim them for you. If you swallow any loose sutures, they will simply be digested. If they loosen and /or you remove them from your mouth, there is no need for alarm if you use caution to avoid disturbing the wound. Continue gentle oral hygiene and wound care both before and after the sutures have come out.

If non-resorbable sutures are used, you will be advised and a specific date will be set up for their removal.