Dental implants are performed during two sessions and after each of these sessions, there will be need for a recovery period. The recovery period may vary, depending on the invasiveness of the procedure and how you react to the surgery. The recovery period will be longer after the first session, when the titanium screw is installed.
Recovery after the Placement of the Dental Screw
The initial procedure in the dental implants procedure is placing the dental screw. The dental surgeon will have to perform an incision in the gum and drill a hole in your bone, so your body will respond with severe swelling in the area. To reduce the swelling, you can use ice or cold compresses. But, make sure you use compresses for 30 minutes and take a break from compresses for another 30 minutes, to prevent tissue damage.
Pain is normal after the surgery and you can expect to feel it immediately after the anesthetic wears off. Prescription pain relievers may be needed, but if your pain threshold is higher, some over the counter drugs may also be sufficient. The dental surgeon will also prescribe some antibiotics to avoid the risks of an infection.
Avoid eating on the day of the procedure (but make sure you eat before) and start a liquid diet the following day. Maintain the liquid diet for two to three days, to make sure that you won’t cause damage to the surgery wound. Avoid dairy products for two to five days, as the bacteria from these products may facilitate an infection.
You should sleep only on your back or the side that is opposite to the surgery site. You may also experience bruising on the face, in the area that has been operated on. The bruising may be prevented in some cases if you use compresses and get chamomile mouth rinses two to three days after the surgery.
You can brush your teeth, but you should avoid the surgery area. Use some mouth rinse, but make sure it contains only a low amount of alcohol. Alcohol will slow down the recovery of the wound. Stay away from alcoholic beverages, especially if you are on antibiotics.
Smoking is not allowed, as it will delay the recovery of the tissues and may also contribute to the rejection of the implants. The recovery period may vary between five days and two weeks. However, you will be able to perform normal activities the following day after the surgery.
Recovery after the Second Session
The second session will involve placing the abutments and will be performed two to six months after the first session. You will experience swelling, bruising and pain; the recovery period will be similar to the first session recovery and the same recovery recommendations will be made. However, given the fact that the surgeon will not drill in the bone, the swelling will be less severe. You may expect to recover in three to seven days.
