How To Promote Healing After Dental Implant Surgery
Dental implants are an alternative to traditional dental bridges and dentures. Implants offer adults the ability to renew their smile. An oral surgeon will perform the actual procedure, but what you do after your procedure will also contribute to the success of your implants. Here are four things you can do to promote healing after getting dental implants:
1. Wait between appointments.
Your dentist can complete your dental implants in a single day if you desire. If you choose this method, your dentist will create your dental bridge or crown ahead of time, then attach it to your new dental implant immediately. However, many people can benefit from having the dental implant procedure performed in stages. During the first stage, a titanium or ceramic post will be implanted in your jaw. That post will be allowed to heal completely before your bridge or crown is attached to it. Allowing your new implant to heal before placing additional pressure on it can encourage healing and prevent complications.
2. Stick to a liquid diet.
During the dental implant procedure, your dentist will drill a hole in your jawbone and place the implant through your gums. They may stitch your gums closed with sutures after the procedure to aid healing. You can protect the surgical site and encourage rapid healing by sticking to a liquid diet in the first few days following your surgery. Nourish yourself with nutritious fluids like milk, smoothies, and more. If you need something more substantial, you can supplement your liquid diet with applesauce and protein shakes.
3. Eat soft foods.
When you're feeling up to eating solid food again, stick to soft foods at first. Hard food may be difficult to chew initially, and putting pressure on the tender part of your mouth may cause pain and bleeding. Choose soft, nutritious foods like bananas, apple sauce, untoasted bread, and oatmeal. You can start incorporating firmer foods into your diet as soon as you feel up to it. You may want to start slowly with foods that are easy to eat, like tofu and cooked vegetables, then work your way up to more difficult foods like nuts and meat.
4. Avoid smoking.
Smoking can prevent healing after oral surgery. The act of inhaling from a cigarette or cigar can increase your risk of developing a dry socket due to suction. Tobacco smoke can also damage the healing tissue in your mouth, prolonging your recovery period.
For more information on the healing process after getting a dental implant, talk to a doctor today.
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