After Placement of Dental Implants

Post-Operative Instructions for Dental Implant Surgery

• Please avoid disturbing the implant site as much as possible. Bone healing and “osseointegration” depends on allowing bone to heal without outside influence. If your implant met specific conditions you may have an exposed ‘healing abutment’ protruding from your gum tissue, it is important that you avoid chewing on it. If your implant is covered it does not mean that it won’t achieve ideal healing, it simply means that ideal healing requires it being covered.
• Bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours. Excessive bleeding can be controlled by applying moistened gauze over the surgical area with moderately firm, biting or manual pressure for 45 minute intervals. If bleeding persists please call our office.
• Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery. To minimize swelling, keep upper body inclined when lying down for the first 48 hours after surgery. You may also apply ice periodically (20 mins on/20 mins off) to help with discomfort.
• Do NOT eat or drink anything that feels warm to your mouth for 24 hours. Soft food should be eaten on the day of surgery, and until otherwise instructed on the implant site. You may return to a normal diet (chewing on the side opposite your implant) as soon as tolerated, but do not chew hard or tough food on the implant site until you have been instructed that it is okay.
• NSAID pain medication (ibuprofen/motrin/advil/aleve) is a mainstay of pain control after surgery. You can take 600 mg of ibuprofen/motrin every 6 hours. For additional pain control, or if you cannot take NSAID pain medication, you can take 1,000 mg of Acetaminophen/Tylenol every 8 hours. Opiate narcotics are also occasionally prescribed for pain control, these can be used in addition to NSAIDs and Tylenol, however be cognizant of the prescribed narcotic as it may contain Tylenol in it. You should not exceed more than 3,000 mg of Tylenol in 24 hours.
• If an antibiotic has been prescribed, finish your antibiotic prescription. If you are having trouble taking the antibiotics, please call the office for additional instructions.
• Maintain good oral hygiene to promote healing. Warm salt water rinses (1/2 teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) can be used if you feel the need to rinse your mouth. Brush your teeth normally. While sutures/stitches are in place, apply your prescribed oral rinse using a tufted q-tip. Once the sutures are removed you can brush over the exposed healing abutment (or healed gingiva) to keep it clean.
• If a flipper or denture was inserted at the time of surgery, wear it as instructed by your surgeon.
• Avoid strenuous exercise for the first 24-48 hours following surgery.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call us at Waterville office of Mid-Maine Oral Surgery Phone Number 207-873-0117. After hours, you will reach our answering service and they will page the surgeon and have him call you back.

Questions About Your Pre or Post Surgery Instructions?