It's Time For A Permanent Fix: How To Ensure A Comfortable Recovery From Dental Implant Surgery

If you're going to be undergoing a dental implant procedure to replace your missing teeth, you'll need to be prepared for the after-care. Dental implants are one of the best ways to replace missing teeth. Once they're in place, your dental implants will look and feel like your natural teeth. Not only that, but you won't need to remove them for cleaning purposes like you do with dentures. Here are four things you'll need to do after the procedure. These steps will help ensure a safe and comfortable recovery period.

Be Prepared for the Swelling

After the procedure, you may notice some swelling in your face and gums. A small amount of swelling is to be expected. You can help alleviate the swelling by applying either ice or cold compresses to your face. You can even make your own ice packs using plastic baggies, water and rubbing alcohol. Grab a 1-quart sized resealable plastic baggie and fill it with 2-cups water and 1-cup rubbing alcohol. Place the baggie in the freezer and wait for it to freeze. One of the benefits of this type of ice pack is that the rubbing alcohol will prevent the water from freezing to a solid state. Instead, you'll have a nice, comfortable frozen slush pack for your face.

Go Slow for a Few Days

Your dental implants will look, feel, and act just like your natural teeth, which means you'll be able to enjoy your favorite foods. However, you should go slow for a few days. It will take some time to get used to your new implants so that softer foods will be better for at least the first day. After that, you can move on to more substantial foods. Just make sure you give yourself time to get used to your new implants.

Pay Attention to How They Feel

Your implants will be secured to your jaw using metal posts. In some cases, the implanted teeth can come loose from the posts. If you start noticing that your implants seem looser than they were, or that they fit differently in your mouth, you should contact your dentist. They may need to be tightened or readjusted.

Watch for Signs of Infection

After any type of surgery, it's important that you watch for signs of post-operative infections. This is true of your dental implant procedure as well. While you're recovering from your procedure, pay close attention to your mouth. If you experience increased swelling or pain, or you develop a fever, you'll need to notify your dentist immediately.