Following surgery, you will be asked to bite firmly but gently on a gauze pad to stop the bleeding. You will be given a package of gauze to take home with you and place over the surgical site. You'll have to make sure to change the pads and use them until the bleeding stops completely. Sometimes biting on a moist tea bag will be prescribed as well. If you find that bleeding persists or increases call our office right away.
If you have some discomfort after the surgery you will be given a prescription for a pain reliever. You can also decrease discomfort and swelling by applying an ice pack for about twenty minutes every hour for the first six hours following surgery. You can continue applying an ice pack for as long as two days following surgery. After two days, apply moist heat to the area such as a warm, damp cloth compress.
In order to minimize swelling and bleeding you may want to keep your head elevated for the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours after the surgery. You have to make sure you relax as much as possible and avoid all strenuous activities for as long as three days following the dental implant surgery.
You'll have to drink at least eight glasses of water or fruit juice every day and try to limit your diet to soft foods such as yogurt or soup during the first week after surgery.
You will be asked to rinse your mouth with warm saltwater solution - one teaspoon of salt in @ sixteen ounces of water - about three to four times a day to help reduce swelling in the area.
Once your jaw bone grows around the titanium posts, you may experience a little discomfort around the area that can last for several weeks. An over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, should make the pain go away.
