The Dental Implant Healing Process – What To Expect

If you’re getting a dental implant in Baltimore, you may be wondering what to expect after your surgery at Be More Dental. The implant process is minimally invasive, but it still does take a little while to fully heal from your surgery. In this blog, we’ll take you through what you can expect from your first week of recovery, and give you some top tips for healing and recovery.

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The First 24 Hours After Your Surgery

Right after your surgery, you’ll likely have a gauze pack in place near your surgical site. Biting down on this pack will help clot the area. You may need to swap the pack if it becomes fully soaked with blood.

You will likely experience some pain and discomfort after your numbing and sedation wear off. We recommend taking over-the-counter painkillers, and icing the cheek near your surgical site to help with this discomfort.

You should not brush your implant site or rinse during this time, but you can brush your other teeth. You can eat right after your surgery, but stick to very soft or liquid foods like yogurt and soft scrambled eggs.

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2-3 Days After Your Surgery

After a few days, your pain should be fading, and you should no longer be bleeding. You can start eating some slightly more firm foods, but you should still avoid anything that’s hard, crunchy, or tough. Think macaroni and cheese, not beef jerky!

You can brush your teeth normally, and start rinsing with salt water to help clean the implant site. If you’re feeling up to it, you can also get back to exercising, but you should still take things easy. 

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A Week After Your Surgery

About a week after your surgery, you should be feeling almost no pain. You can usually start brushing your implant site normally about 5-7 days after surgery, though you should be gentle and use a soft-bristled toothbrush.

You also can start eating more firm foods. We still recommend avoiding sharp and crunchy foods like chips for at least 2 weeks, but you should be able to eat most of your favorite foods. As long as it’s not hurting your mouth, you’re good to go!

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Healing & Recovery Tips

Dr. Amanda Hurley will give you a full set of recovery instructions to follow as you heal from your dental implant, but here are a few simple tips you should follow after your surgery.

• Avoid straws, forceful spitting – Using a straw or spitting forcefully within 48 hours of your implant could dislodge your blood clot. This will cause discomfort and slow down the healing process.
  
  
• Don’t smoke – You shouldn’t smoke for at least 2-3 months after your implant. Ideally, you should quit smoking completely. Smoking and oral tobacco use lead to much higher risks of implant complications and premature implant failure.
  
  
• Take it easy after surgery – We recommend taking a day off of work, and a few days off of exercise and heavy exertion. This helps you rest, heal, and recover.
  
  
• Watch your diet – Eat nutritious, soft foods that are nourishing and satisfying. Eating soft foods helps prevent pain and damage to the implant site. After about a week, you should be able to eat most of your favorite foods, and you can eat whatever you want after 2 weeks.

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Learn More About Dental Implants In Baltimore – Schedule A Visit With Dr. Hurley!

Dr. Amanda Hurley is an experienced implant dentist in Baltimore, and she can help you explore your options for permanent tooth replacement at Be More Dental. We’re always accepting new patients, so contact us online or give us a call at (410) 276-4455. Dr. Hurley and our team would be happy to meet you, and discuss whether or not dental implants in Baltimore are right for you.