Dental Implant Healing Timeline: What to Expect
People don’t seem to take their oral hygiene seriously enough. According to studies, more than 25% of people will lose all of their teeth before the age of 75. The reasons why a person can lose teeth vary, but some of the common causes are lack of dental hygiene, blunt trauma during an accident, and gum disease. The last one is actually the No. 1 cause of tooth loss in adults.
For some people, tooth loss is inevitable. In that case, if you want your smile to look attractive, dental implants are the only option. You never had a dental implant before but you want to know how the procedure looks like? Here at Harbor Family Dental, we’ve handled many dental implant procedures. Here’s what you can expect when undergoing a Dental Implant procedure.
24 Hours After the Procedure
After the surgery is done, you may feel some slight pain. If that happens, the doctor will apply more sedation. Dr. Wallrich will place a gauze pack over your implant site; you’ll bite down on this to ensure that your blood clot forms properly. Within 2 hours, the bleeding should stop completely. For some people, it may take a few hours longer.
You might feel some discomfort once your sedation and local anesthetic wear off. Please take any prescription medication as instructed by your surgeon and keep an over-the-counter painkiller like ibuprofen on hand in case the discomfort continues to be bothersome. Also, try icing the area around the implant site with ice to minimize any swelling
3 Days After the Procedure
It is normal for implantation to cause pain and swelling. These symptoms typically peak 2 days after the procedure and then reside. Therefore, if your implant site is bleeding after 3 days, be aware that it isn’t normal. In this case, you should contact your dentist.
It’s recommended that you continue to eat soft foods and avoid strenuous exercise during this time. Avoid brushing the dental implant site as well. This will reduce bleeding and also help keep fragile the blood clots around your implant from getting damaged.
7 Days After the Procedure
After 3 days of a liquid diet, you can start eating soft and semi-solid foods like rice, fries, and noodles. Crunchy and hard foods such as toast and crackers should be avoided for at least a week after getting your dental implants.
Post-surgery, you can do some moderate exercises. However, heavy workouts may risk damaging your implant site. Working out hard will cause your heart to pump more blood. In turn, if there are still any sores around the implants, you can start bleeding excessively.
2 Weeks After the Procedure
When 14 days pass, the doctor will take off your stitches. After the stitches have been removed, we typically welcome you back to our office for a follow-up with Dr. Wallrich. He will look at your healing process and answer any questions you may have.
Once the initial healing process is complete, it is normal for your implant site to seem swollen and feel a little tender when touched. The implant will continue to heal over the next 6 months until it bonds with your bone completely.
Dental Implants at Harbor Family Dental
Dr. Ryan Wallrich and his team have treated patients in the greater San Diego area for years now, always making them feel as though they're important. Our goal is to provide our patients with optimal oral health using the best modern technology.
If you have questions about your dental health or would like to schedule an appointment at our 1310 Rosecrans Street office, please contact us online or give us a call at (619) 786-2939.