At-Home Care for Your Dental Implant Following Your Procedure

We provide our patients with innovative, state-of-the-art dental care at Derek H. Tang, DDS & Todd S. Adams DDS, using the latest treatments and technologies in combination with education within a caring environment. Patients who visit our Sunnyvale, California office looking for an innovative tooth replacement option have come to love the benefits provided by dental implants. These implants are placed via a safe surgical procedure, and the results are amazing. Caring for your dental implants at home following your procedure is important. Here are some things you should know.

Day Of Your Procedure

On the day following your dental implant procedure, there are some simple instructions you will want to make sure you follow:

• No spitting. If you need to get rid of saliva, you can lean over a sink or basin, let the saliva dribble out, and then wipe your face with clean tissue as needed. You could also choose to swallow excess saliva
• Refrain from using a drinking straw. Only drink directly from a cup. The pressure from drinking out of a straw could cause any forming blood clots to loosen
• No smoking or use of any tobacco products
• Do not play or handle the surgical area with your fingers or tongue

You want to refrain from doing any activities which could dislodge forming blood clots or cause excess bleeding. Tobacco use will lead to an increased risk of infection.

What You Should Know About Post-Op Care

Bleeding

Minor bleeding should be expected following your procedure. It should subside quickly (within an hour or two) following your surgery. Keep clean gauze on the site, gently biting to provide pressure for 30 to 45 minutes if you begin to bleed. Call our office if the bleeding becomes excessive or will not stop.

Swelling

You should expect swelling in the mouth following your surgery. It could be anywhere from mild to severe swelling and increase during the initial 24 to 48 hours following your procedure and last several days after. Bruising can also occur and is considered normal.

Diet

Eat non-abrasive and soft foods. Mashed potatoes, clear soups, soft scrambled eggs, and cottage cheese are all common foods our patients find comfortable eating once the anesthetic wears off. Avoid chewing directly at the site of the implant.

Oral Hygiene

Starting on the day after surgery, you can begin to rinse gently with warm salt water and brush your teeth, avoiding the surgical site.

To schedule an appointment with Derek H. Tang, DDS & Todd S. Adams DDS, please call our office today at (408) 355-9292.

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