Common Questions

Oral Surgery Care Instructions click here: Post_Operative_Care_Instructions.pdf

Bleeding after implant surgery?

Bleeding from the surgical site is common after dental implants. This may occur for up to 48-72 hours following surgery. Your dentist has placed gauze over the surgical site. Please continue to bite down firmly on the gauze for the first hour after surgery to help stop any bleeding. Spitting and rinsing aggravates and stimulates bleeding. If you had an implant on the upper jaw, please do not blow your nose only blot and apply pressure.

Heavy Bleeding?

If you experience oozing or heavy bleeding after implant surgery, gently wipe out large clots from your mouth. Next, take two gauze sponges folded into fourths, or a moistened regular (not decaf or herbal) tea bag wrapped in gauze, and place over the bleeding site. Bite down firmly for one hour without changing. If bleeding continues after one hour, please contact our office immediately at 610-325-1670.

When can I have something to eat?

About an hour after surgery, you may remove the gauze sponges. Diet should consist of soft foods for example, pudding or applesauce for the first 24 hours after surgery. Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid hot, spicy, hard and crunchy foods, and hot drinks for several hours after surgery. Drinking from a straw is prohibited at least 24 hours. These precautions will give your mouth a better chance to heal properly.

Recovery Time

The amount of discomfort after surgery usually depends on how extensive your surgery was. Ibuprofen or Tylenol should be adequate. The local anesthetic used during surgery will begin to wear off within 2 to 4 hours and you may begin to feel less comfortable. Please take the recommended over the counter medication/prescription.

Swelling

Swelling often occurs as part of the natural healing process; however, it usually increases for 3 to 5 days after oral surgery, soon after that it will begin to subside. The swelling may make it difficult to open your mouth wide or to swallow. You may experience some bruising, numbness or tingling of the lip and/or tongue where the implant was placed. To help minimize the amount of swelling apply ice pack to your face over the area where the surgery was done for the first 24 to 36 hours every 10 to 30 minutes.

Can I brush my teeth?

Good oral hygiene practices are as essential after oral surgery. After 24 hours you can resume tooth brushing. It may also help to gently rinse your mouth every so often with mild salt water (1/4 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water). DO NOT use mouth wash or hydrogen peroxide rinses for 14 days.

Can I smoke?

DO NOT SMOKE. Smoking of any kind after oral surgery interferes with the normal healing process and can increase your chances of developing an infection, failure of the implant and or bone grafts. Smokers have a higher risk of implant failure.