5 Tips to speed up healing after dental implant surgery
If you are considering dental implants, then it means you got the best step to restore your missing teeth. Unlike dentures and dental bridges, the implant teeth revamp the tooth roots and preserve the surrounding structures that ensure better functionality like natural teeth.
Now, we want to tell you a fact regarding this restoration.
Fixing dental implants is relatively an uncomplicated surgery but its success rate depends on your care during the healing process. To be precise, the implant recovery period is paramount for the longevity of implants you are going to fix.
We have discussed the common instructions that promote your implant healing throughout this post. Keep reading what our Implantologists have prescribed.
1) Eat foods rich in healing nutrients
You should maintain a soft diet for the first few days following implant surgery. If you get one or two implants, adjust your diet for the first 7 days to 30 days. Whether you received multiple teeth replacements with implants, follow the soft diet for a minimum of 6 weeks. Feeding your body with foods that contain key vitamins, nutrients protein and calcium aid in speedy implant recovery.
Highly nutritious foods recommended by implant doctors include fruits, broccoli, protein shakes, veggie smoothies, boiled eggs.
In the meantime, you should restrict the jaw movements during recovery. So you should stay far away from the following foods:
- Tangy foods
- Acidic foods
- Sugary foods
- Chewy foods
- Sticky foods
As these foods will irritate the tissues in the treated region whilst they deposit on the implantation site, lead to food impaction. We suggest you avoid those foods to prevent infection.
2) Refrain from Tobacco & Alcohol
Smoking and Chewing tobacco are powerful to weaken the implant teeth embedded with the jaw bone. It clearly shows their detrimental effects on healing implants. Typically, oral surgeons advise not to smoke for the first 48 hours after fixing dental implants.
It is because smoking perplexes the healing process as the toxic substances in cigarettes obstruct your body from getting oxygen for the healing process. Moreover, smoking blocks the growth of gums in the implantation site. It leads to prolonging the healing period.
On the other hand, alcohol damages the exposed nerves and tissues around the implants. Apart from hindering recovery, these things will end up in implant failure.
So, cease smoking and alcohol consumption during the healing period after fixing implants.
3) Avoid strenuous activities
You should not revert to your daily exercise routine immediately after getting implants fixed. Typically, Dental doctors suggest that refrain from vigorous physical activities for the first 3 days following the implant surgery.
This is because such heavy strenuous activities make your heart pumps faster. It increases postoperative bleeding and swelling, leads to many complications. So it is mandatory to limit your heavy physical works during the implant recovery period.
4) General Care actions
Postoperative discomforts like pain, bleeding and swelling are common in implant fixing surgery. Here are the common general care actions for new implant tooth’s well-being:
- Saltwater Rinse – Add 1 teaspoon of salt to a cup of lukewarm water. Swish your mouth with the solution thrice a day for the first week following the surgery. It prevents the accumulation of bacteria around implants.
- Cold Compress – Inflammation in the face following oral surgeries are common. Place ice packs on the swollen area and hold it for 15 minutes. Then repeat it after a few minutes. Repeating the cold compress at regular intervals for a few days after fixing implants will calm down the throbbing nerves and reduce swelling.
5) Things you should cease
Similar to smoking, you should stop certain habits and lifestyle activities to quicken the recovery process. Here are some:
- Nail biting
- Ice Crunching
- Drinks fluids with a straw
- Biting hard substances
- Frequent Caffeinate
Bottom Line
Remember that the implant recovery period varies for each person as the healing process depends on various factors like the number of implants fixed, the implant’s location, etc. Recovery will extend further if you get bone graft surgery.
Apart from taking medications and maintain an effective oral hygiene regimen, you should undergo a slight lifestyle change and give up some of your favorite things for proper implant healing.
