Getting dental implants can set you up for many years of healthy, strong, and confident smiles. However, before you start to enjoy their many benefits, you will have to go through a complex treatment process, which involves surgery. The surgery is fairly minor, but it does come with a recovery period. How can you support your body’s healing process after your procedure? You should avoid the following activities, which could increase your discomfort and possibly even lead to post-op complications:
Smoking
It is well-known that smoking is bad for oral and overall health. It can be particularly dangerous for dental implants. Not only can it slow down your body’s ability to heal, but it can also increase your risk of infections and make it more difficult for your implants to bond with the surrounding tissues. If you smoke, you should make efforts to kick the habit. At the very least, you should avoid smoking during the weeks before and after your surgery.
Vigorous Exercise
Exercise is very beneficial under normal circumstances, but not while you are recovering from surgery. Too much physical exertion could cause extra bleeding and discomfort. Set aside a few days to rest, and when you start to regain energy, gently work your way back toward your regular exercise routine.
Eating Hard and Crunchy Foods
Your mouth will be sore for several days after your surgery. Crunchy and hard foods are likely to worsen your discomfort; they could even interfere with the healing process. You may need to be on a no-chew diet during the initial part of your recovery period. Then, you can progress to soft foods. Once you are completely healed, you may resume a normal diet.
Drinking Alcohol
Alcohol may prevent blood clots from forming at your surgical sites, so it would be best to abstain from it for at least 10 days after your procedure. Also, keep in mind that alcohol may not mix well with certain prescriptions, including the pain medications that you may use after your surgery.
Drinking through a Straw
Drinking through a straw causes a suction action that might negatively affect the blood clots at your surgical sites. If a clot gets prematurely dislodged, you may experience a significant increase in pain. Therefore, you should sip directly from your beverages during your recovery period.
Rinsing Aggressively
Oral hygiene is always important, including during the time period after dental implant surgery. However, caution is in order. When you use mouthwash, do not vigorously swish it around your mouth. Instead, use gentle motions to move it throughout your oral cavity. When you finish, let the liquid flow out of your mouth; do not forcefully spit it out.
Recovering from dental implant surgery is easier than most people expect! Carefully follow instructions from your dentist so you can reduce your risk of post-op complications.
Meet the Practice
At Family Dental Practice of Bloomfield, our talented team provides start-to-finish dental implant services. We are even able to perform the placement surgery right here in our office. If you have questions about this procedure or what to expect while you are recovering from it, get in touch with us at 860-263-0441.