Need some help navigating the aftercare of having oral implants?
Below is a general guide to follow after you have had oral implants fitted to keep you healthy and get them fusing in time!
No brushing!
It may sound odd to read that you should avoid brushing after having dental implants Melbourne fitted, but it is wise to do so for at least a week or more!
Take care to gently brush the other teeth in your mouth, but avoid using a brush to clean around the implant site. Instead, use salt water to keep it clean and free from debris.
Pain relief
Once you are at home and the pain relief provided by your dentist has worn off, you are going to need to invest in some of your own.
For this, it is recommended that you avoid pain relievers such as ibuprofen or aspirin, as these can thin the blood and promote bruising. To best manage any discomfort you have, try paracetamol.
If you suffer from persistent pain post-fitting, book yourself in for a checkup with your dentist since you could have an infection.
Foods
It can be oh so tempting to eat a spicy curry after a long day in the dental chair but doing so post-oral implant fitting would be a bad idea.
Hot, spicy foods are best avoided until your gum line settles down and becomes less inflamed.
Similarly, you will need to avoid hard foods as they could cause your implant to move out of place.
Stick to soft, watery, healthy foods for the first few weeks post fitting to maximise your chance of recovery and successful fusing.
Lifestyle
Your implants are in and healing well; what harm can going out for a night on the town do? In short, a lot!
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, smoking and eating sugary foods without the correct oral hygiene can cause serious issues for your newly fitted oral implants and lead you to lose them.
After your implants have been fitted, you will need to stay away from smoking, binge drinking and poor dental hygiene since all of these heighten the chances of you developing gum disease, which can bring about the loss of both your oral implants and any natural teeth you have remaining.
If you need help with smoking cessation, talk to your dentist.
Appointments
When you have had oral implants fitted, there will be a period of around 3-6 months between the initial fitting and the prosthetics being attached.
During that time, you will need to attend checkups with your dental team to not only ensure that the implants are fusing but that they are fusing straight and are not infected.
It is of vital importance that you keep these appointments with your dentist; failure to do so can result in preventable issues being missed and you losing your implants altogether.
Similarly, if you have concerns that your implants are loose or infected, you will need to contact your dentist promptly.
So, be sure to communicate with your dental team consistently during this period!
DISCLAIMER
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
