Undergoing any sort of dental procedure requires proper healing to fully recover. Some dental surgeries require a great deal of time to heal properly while others are rather quick with little downtime. When it comes to a tooth implant, recovery time is relatively quick but it all depends on a number of issues. For cases that involve minor work, many patients are able to resume a mostly normal daily routine within 24 hours. For other, more involved dental implant procedures, it could take several days.
For bigger tooth implant surgeries, most patients tend to be back to normal after a few days. However, a periodontist will likely suggest that the patient remain cautious about certain foods for as long as six weeks. When it comes to judging the safety of food following a tooth implant, a rule to live by is this: if it can’t be cut easily with a fork, stay away from it. This is especially important for the first three weeks or so, as this window of time is when most of the healing will take place.
Aside from avoiding foods that could potentially be harmful to your tooth implant, there are some things that will help speed up recovery. One such measure you can take is to apply ice to the area of your face where the implant was placed. Do this once an hour for the first few days after the surgery to prevent swelling.
In terms of lifestyle, there are a few things to consider as well. First of all, if you are a smoker it is strongly suggested that you avoid smoking for a period of time after your tooth implant surgery. Smoking can delay healing in multiple ways and is ultimately discouraged during the healing process. Also, when brushing, make sure that you are brushing gently. Your periodontist may suggest that you wait a certain amount of time before brushing, though.
Lastly, if you are prescribed any sort of antibiotics or other medicines, use it only as prescribed and under the dentist’s care.
As you can see, following just a few simple tips can ensure that your healing process from your dental implant is a success.
For additional tips and to schedule your professional consultation, contact the office of Dr. Brad Crump at 214-443-0876 today.