Homecare - After Implant Surgery

After implants have been placed, it’s important to follow these recommendations to ensure their long-term success.



General care


To control minor bleeding, apply moderate pressure with gauze pads or a clean, moist tea bag wrapped in a gauze pad.


Limit yourself to calm activities for the first three to five days to keep your blood pressure stable and reduce bleeding.


If you usually wear a removable denture or partial denture, we will give you specific instructions about wearing it while your implants heal.




Tobacco use

Don’t use tobacco for at least 24 hours, and avoid tobacco as much as possible for several months. Tobacco slows healing and increases the risk that your body will reject the implants, and it’s the leading cause of implant failure.




When to call us


Call us right away if you have heavy or increased bleeding, you have pain or swelling that increases or continues beyond two or three days, or you have a reaction to the medication.


Call us if the implants gradually show through the gums, so we can check them.


You can also call us with any questions or concerns.




Chewing and eating


Avoid chewing until the numbness has worn off completely. If we placed a temporary restoration, avoid chewing for one half-hour to allow the temporary cement to set.


For the first 24 hours, drink lots of liquids and eat soft, nutritious foods, chewing on the opposite side of your mouth.


After the first 24 hours, you can begin to return to your usual diet, but continue to chew on the opposite side. Avoid very hot or spicy foods until your gums are healed. We’ll evaluate your situation to determine how soon you can chew on the implant.




Brushing and flossing


For the first 14 days, gently wipe the implant site with gauze or a cotton swab. After that, brush the area gently with a soft toothbrush.


Don’t floss the site for four weeks. We will evaluate the healing and adjust your brushing and flossing timetable as necessary.


Brush and floss your other teeth normally.


If we have recommended a mouthrinse, use it as directed.




Medication and discomfort


If antibiotics or other medicines are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone.


To control discomfort, take pain medication before the anesthetic has worn off or as recommended. It’s normal to experience some discomfort for several days after surgery.


To reduce discomfort or swelling for the first 24 hours following surgery, use ice packs, 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off.


To reduce discomfort after the first 24 hours, apply moist heat.


To further reduce discomfort after the first 24 hours, you can rinse your mouth very gently three times a day with warm salt water. Use about one teaspoon of salt per glass of warm water.