6 Post-Op Questions About Dental Implant Surgery

You’ve spent the past several months researching dental implants and ultimately decided that they were the most beneficial way for you to restore your missing teeth. Now that your implant placement surgery is quickly approaching, more and more questions are racing through your mind. To help you ease your mind, we’ve written this blog with the answers to six of the most popular post-op questions about dental implant surgery in Charlottesville.

1. Can I Drive Myself Home?

If you were asleep for your surgery, it will take a while for your mental state to return to normal. Additionally, your vision may be blurry for the next several hours. For these reasons, you should not drive for at least 24 hours after your surgery.

2. How Soon After the Surgery Can I Resume My Normal Activities?

While it’s recommended that you rest for the remainder of the day of your surgery, you can resume light activity the next day. However, avoid strenuous exercise for at least three days. Do not perform activities that require concentration, such as driving, while taking prescription pain medication.

3. Will My Mouth Bleed Afterward?

Bleeding from the surgical site is common for the next 48-72 hours. Immediately after your surgery, your dentist will place gauze pads over the site to slow bleeding. Continue to bite down on them for the first hour.

Keep in mind that rinsing and spitting can increase bleeding. If you had implants placed in your upper jaw, or you had a sinus graft or life, you might bleed from your nose. Do not blow your nose; simply use a tissue to firmly blot the area.

4. When Can I Eat After the Surgery?

After about an hour, you can remove your gauze pads and eat. Remember to eat only soft foods and avoid hot foods and drinks for the next 24 hours. Also, avoid drinking from a straw during this time. These precautions will prevent delaying the healing process.

5. Will My Recovery Be Painful?

The local anesthetic used during surgery will begin to subside after two to four hours. To minimize discomfort, take either your prescribed or over-the-counter pain medication before it wears off. Holding a cold compress to your cheek in ten-minute intervals can also bring down pain. Your pain should decrease over the next few days and be completely gone within a week. However, call your dentist’s office right away if the pain worsens instead.

6. Can I Brush My Teeth?

After 24 hours, you can gently brush around the surgical site. It’s suggested that you avoid using an electric toothbrush or flossing near the site for two weeks. Every few hours, rinse your mouth out with a saltwater solution (1/4 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water), but do not spit forcefully.

Now that these questions are answered, you should feel much more comfortable undergoing your dental implant surgery in Charlottesville. For any further questions, don’t hesitate to give your dentist a call!

About the Practice

The team at Blue Ridge Dental is dedicated to ensuring the comfort of every patient. Dr. Minutella, Dr. Feehan, and Dr. Schoeb are able to meet the dental needs of virtually every patient. In fact, they’re able to place and restore dental implant in-house. For more questions about what to expect after dental implant surgery, contact their Charlottesville office at (434)-978-1510.