Procedure after insertion of a dental implant

Implants are a safe and durable way to fill in missing teeth. However, after inserting them, you should take proper care of them, clean them regularly and follow the dentist's instructions for inspection. Smoking and drinking alcohol is very unfavourable, because addictions weaken the body, making it difficult to regenerate.

Time immediately after insertion of the dental implant

Although dental implants are safe for health, and in many cases even indicated for insertion, they must have appropriate conditions to be accepted by the body. Just after insertion, it should be:

apply a cold compress (e.g. ice) on the face to reduce swelling,
avoid eating and drinking until the anaesthetic has completely stopped working,
Avoid hot drinks - only cold drinks are allowed,
for the first few hours, even after the anaesthesia has stopped, avoid eating - the first meals, which can be eaten after about 6 hours, should have a semi-liquid consistency,
try not to touch the area in which the dental implants have been placed with your tongue.

A week after the procedure, the stitches are removed. In such cases, special care must be taken not to disturb the tissue that has just grown up.

The first two weeks with an implant

The first two weeks after the implantation are very important, if not crucial. You can't do that while you're at it:

drinking alcohol,
smoke cigarettes,
...to do sports,
bend over,
use the sauna and solarium,
make a heavy effort, lift loads, etc.

It depends on the general form of the organism whether dental implants will be accepted without any problems.

Besides, you should brush your teeth after each meal. It is advisable to rinse the oral cavity with an antiseptic liquid. It is best to brush your teeth with a soft toothbrush to minimize the risk of gum irritation - especially in the area where the implant is to be placed. Meals should be soft or even liquid in order not to force implants to chew hard food. It is also important that the food is not very hot.

What should I pay attention to two weeks after the implant insertion?

After two weeks, the most important period for the implant, some indications should still be continued. It is recommended that you do not exercise for at least one month after the implant insertion. The diet may be more varied, but it is still necessary to ensure that the implant is not loaded. After each meal, lips should be at least rinsed with lukewarm water. For the first three months you should not smoke cigarettes at all, it is advisable to stop smoking completely. Smoking reduces the possibility of tissue regeneration, which results in a higher risk of implant rejection. Smokers are 5 times more likely to do so than non-smokers. Some dentists do not even undertake to perform the procedure on a smoker.

It is also very important to observe the rules of hygiene in general, otherwise bacterial infections may occur. Regular tooth brushing, the use of mouthwash and scheduled follow-up visits are essential.

After a period of complete regeneration, you can eat normal meals and return to your previous physical activity. It happens that after the implant insertion there are complications, but in the majority of cases they are the result of inappropriate management of the patient himself. Having implants does not require additional treatments, but you need to take great care of your oral hygiene - brush your teeth, floss and regularly attend check-up visits.