After Placement of Dental Implants
Do not disturb the wound. Avoid rinsing, spitting, or touching the wound on the day of surgery.
Bleeding
Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours. Excessive bleeding (your mouth fills up rapidly with blood) can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes. If bleeding continues, please call for further instructions.
Swelling
Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery. To minimize swelling, apply an ice pack, or a towel filled with ice on the cheek in the area of surgery. Apply the ice continuously, as often as possible, for the first 36 hours.
Diet
If you are being sedated for the procedure, you should have nothing to eat or drink after midnight before the surgery. After the surgery, drink plenty of fluids. Avoid hot liquids or food. Soft food and liquids should be eaten on the day of surgery. Return to a normal diet as soon as possible unless otherwise directed.
Discomfort
You should begin taking medication as soon as you feel the local anesthetic wearing off. For moderate tenderness, one to two Tylenol or Extra Strength Tylenol may be taken every three to four hours. Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) may be taken instead of Tylenol. Ibuprofen, bought over the counter comes in 200 mg tablets. Two to three tablets may be taken every three to four hours as needed for pain. For severe discomfort, the prescribed medication should be taken as directed. Do not take any of the above medication if you are allergic, or have been instructed by your doctor otherwise.
Antibiotics
Be sure to take the prescribed antibiotics (tablets or rinse) as directed to help prevent infection.
Oral Hygiene
Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing. If Dr. Roccia, Dr. Marsh, Dr. Singh, Dr. Faigen, Dr. Licht or Dr. Laino feel that a medicated mouth rinse is indicated, begin rinsing as instructed the night of surgery. The day after surgery, the medicated rinse should be used two to three times daily. Be sure to rinse for at least 30 seconds then spit it out. Warm salt-water rinses (one teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) should be used at least four to five times a day, as well, especially after meals. Be gentle initially when brushing the surgical areas. If healing abutments have been placed, brushing your teeth is not a problem.
Activity
Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. If you are considering strenuous activity, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If symptoms persist, you should discontinue the activity. Keep in mind that you are probably not taking normal nourishment. This may weaken you and further limit your ability to exercise.
Wearing Your Prosthesis
Routinely, partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures should not be used immediately following surgery. Every patient and case is different. Please follow the direction of Drs. Roccia, Marsh, Singh, Faigen, Licht or Laino for your specific case.