After Placement of Dental Implants

Home Care Instructions

Do not disturb the wound. Avoid rinsing, spitting, or touching the wound on the day of surgery. There may be a metal healing abutment protruding through the gingival (gum) tissue.

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 firmly on a gauze pad placed on the bleeding wound for 20-30 minutes. If bleeding continues please call for further instructions.

Swelling

Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery. To minimize swelling, apply an ice pack, to the cheek in the area of surgery. Apply the ice for 20 min on and 20 min off when you are awake, as often as possible, for the first 48 hours.

We're Here to Help!

Call us with any questions or or to book an appointment. It's our Oral Surgery team's #1 priority to give you a comfortable experience. We look forward to taking care of you!

Tacoma: 253-473-0651 Puyallup: 253-799-1525 Request an Appointment

Diet

Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid hot liquids. Soft foods with cool liquids should be eaten on the day of surgery. We also recommend avoiding caffeine and alcohol for the first 24 hours as these can lead to dehydration.  Return to a normal diet as soon as possible unless otherwise directed.

Pain

You should begin taking pain medication before the local anesthetic wears off. The prescribed medication should be taken as directed. Do not take any pain medication that you are allergic to or have been instructed by your doctor not to take.

Antibiotics

If antibiotics are prescribed, be sure to take them as directed to help prevent infection.

Oral Hygiene

Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing. The day after surgery, warm salt water rinses (teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) should be used at least 4-5 times a day, especially after meals. Brushing your teeth and the healing abutments is no problem. Be gentle initially with brushing the surgical areas, and always use a soft bristled tooth brush.

Activity

Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. If you engage in vigorous exercise, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If this occurs, you should discontinue exercising. Keep in mind that you are probably not taking normal nourishment. This may weaken you and further limit your ability to exercise.  Light exercise is always recommended including walking and moving around.  Inactivity can lead to significant generalized health problems

Wearing your Prosthesis

Often times, partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures should not be used immediately after surgery, and we have you leave it out for several days. This will be discussed in the pre-operative consultation, and tailored to your individual healing and cosmetic needs.