Good oral hygiene must take place before, during, and after placement of dental implants to maintain your implants. Patients are concerned about what kind of maintenance their implants will require.
Do they brush and floss their implants like regular teeth?

Does food get underneath the fixed implant bridge or prosthesis?
Patients look to their hygienists to address these concerns and help them with an individualized home-care routine.

Maintain Your Dental Implants Post Surgery

Following are some of the ways for maintaining your dental implants after the surgery:

Antibiotics

Although no strict protocol for antibiotic use has been established within the field of implant dentistry, one must understand that placement of a dental implant involves instituting a foreign body within the human body. Titanium metal (which dental implants are made of) is biologically inert and will not be rejected by the human body. However, bacteria that may be on the implant surface prior to placement in your mouth can elicit a foreign body response, leading to inflammation, encapsulation with scar tissue and ultimately, failure. So, patients should take all prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection at the surgical site. This includes the prescribed oral rinse. Patients should be using the rinse twice daily alongside a warm saltwater rinse 4-5 times daily (preferably after every meal/snack).

Bleeding

Blood in the patients’ saliva is normal during the first 24 hours following surgery. We suggest biting on gauze pads to help control and lessen blood flow. Gently bite down on the gauze pad and try to maintain constant pressure, repeating as often as needed, or until bleeding lessens.

Dealing with pain – Shortly after your dental implant surgery the anesthetic will wear off. You should begin taking pain medication before this happens. Any over-the-counter pain medication can be taken (e.g., Tylenol®, Aleve®, ibuprofen, etc.).

Diet

We recommend an initial diet of soft foods, but patients can resume a normal diet as soon as they feel capable of doing so. Stay hydrated. It is critical that you are drinking plenty of fluids.

Hygiene

In order for the dental implants to heal properly, the surgical site must be kept clean. Continue to brush your teeth as you normally would, but avoid any sutures and do not brush the implant. The antibiotic and saltwater rinses will disinfect the implant itself.

Swelling

Swelling occurs after dental implant surgery for the same reason swelling can occur after any surgery. The operation involves cutting the gum open to expose bone and drilling into the bone where the dental implant will be placed. Sometimes, dental implants are performed in stages, so additional surgery is necessary. For example, an abutment may be placed at a later time. The gum is reopened to expose the implant, so the abutment can be attached. The gum tissue is then closed. A crown will later be attached to the abutment.

Wearing Your Prosthesis or Night Guard

Partial dentures, flippers, full dentures, retainers, or night guards should not be used for at least 10 days following surgery. If there are any special circumstances, our practice will discuss those with you during your pre-operative consultation.

Smoking

Smoking also has a strong influence on the complication rates of implants. It causes significantly more marginal bone loss after implant placement, increases the incidence of peri-implantitis and affects the success rates of bone grafts. The failure rate of implants placed in grafted maxillary sinuses of smokers is again two times more compared to that in nonsmokers.

About Your Oxnard, CA Cosmetic Dentist:

We look forward to providing families with exceptional care and advanced treatment options. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Jivraj contact our Oxnard, CA, dental office today by calling 805-800-8289. Our office welcomes patients in and around Oxnard, CA, including Santa Barbara, Woodland Hills, Ventura, and the surrounding Southern California communities.

Our Team Looks Forward to Welcoming You to

Anacapa Dental Art Institute

We’re proud to help everyone achieve the smile of their dreams. We’re located in Oxnard and serve the surrounding communities including Santa Barbara, Ventura, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Woodland Hills, Simi Valley, Calabasas, Port Hueneme, Malibu, and Westlake Village.