The Healing Process After a Dental Implant Procedure
Posted on: 26 February 2021
You might have heard that you need four to eight weeks to recover from dental implant surgery. Why is this so, and what do you need to know?
Dental Implant Surgery
Placing dental implants in your jawbone requires the dental surgeon to drill a hole in your jaw and then screw in the dental implant. The expectation is that your jawbone will fuse with the dental implant to give firm support to the artificial dental crown to be attached at a later date.
The fusion between your jawbone and dental implant takes time. For some people, healing may take a month, but for others, it may take six or eight months. The time varies because each person's body is unique. One person may heal faster or slower than the other.
Eating
Of course, you may need to protect your gum and jawbone from hard foods. This means that your diet will change to soft foods and plenty of fluids. Your dentist might even give you a list of foods you can eat and for how long.
Follow your dentist's instructions to avoid injuring your jawbone and go back for surgery to fix what you damaged. This can prolong your healing time.
Pain and Discomfort
During the first few days, you might feel some pain and discomfort and even notice some minor bleeding; this is normal. However, if you feel excessive pain or notice excessive bleeding, it might be time to visit the dentist for an examination.
Medication
Your dentist will prescribe pain relief and anti-infective drugs (drugs to help prevent infections). Take them as instructed, and don't skip a day to avoid complications.
Hygiene
It is important that you maintain oral hygiene to prevent your wound from getting infected. The medicine prescribed will help, but that does not mean you fail to keep your mouth clean.
Your dentist might guide you on proper dental hygiene, which may mostly be to avoid disturbing the wound in your mouth. They may even recommend a particular toothpaste and mouthwash to ensure that you do not aggravate your wound.
Regular Dental Visits
This is not optional; your dentist needs to monitor your healing and ensure that you do not have an infection. This is also the time to report any symptoms or issues you've been experiencing. Nothing is insignificant, no matter how minor it sounds. Tell your dentist everything to get the best care. Contact a dentist for more information about dental implants.
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