With unhealthy eating habits and sugar-loaded food, it is obvious that your teeth are deteriorating with time and would require replacement with a dental implant. Many fear an appointment with the Orthodontist in Wellington, given the horror stories that revolve around the internet with blood and pain written all over it. However, dental implants are far from the horror stories that have been spread.
Dental implants work as the initial step towards the preservation of your former capability for biting and chewing. This procedure tends to preserve the overall structure of the jawline after you lose a tooth or more teeth. With advanced technologies, the procedure for dental implantation has become fairly painless and quick.
So, before you make an appointment with your dentist, here are some of the things that you should prepare for before an implant.
Proper dental implant care requires more than just regular checkups; it’s about adopting a healthy lifestyle overall. Resources like The Health Line provide valuable tips on oral hygiene, dental care, and overall wellness.
Things To Do Before Dental Implant Procedure
1. Prepare a soft meal
Make sure you take part in including soft food in your diet, which includes things such as smoothies, pasta, soups, and similar options. This will help the tender gums relax with ample nutritional benefits that will make the healing process faster after the implantation process is complete. Make sure you add a good amount of protein to your diet, given the fact that you are just loading up on a liquid diet. Try to avoid acidic things before the procedure is carried out by a Wellington dentist.
2. Plan all your appointments accordingly
Make sure you shift your important appointments a week after the implant, given the fact that you need ample rest to heal from the surgery. Some patients might return sooner to work, but many require ample rest to do so.
3. Fast
Make sure you opt for fasting at least 4 to 12 hours before the commencement of the surgery. If unsure, ask your dentist about the specifications of the fasting period.
4. Be comfortable
Make sure you are comfortable during and before the procedure. Remove all the makeup or nail polish and wear something that is airy and comfortable.
5. Arrange a ride to get home
Given the fact that you will be sedated during the surgeryyou must ask your friend or any family member to take you home after you are done with the procedure. Discontinue things such as omega-3-based fish oil, vitamin C, or aspirin before the implantation surgery.
6. Take ample rest
You will surely need all the strength that you have for better recovery, so make sure you visit the doctor only after resting properly.
Now that you know what to do before the commencement of the surgery, here are the things that you need to know and prepare for after the dental implantation is complete.
Things To Do After Dental Implant Procedure
1. Skim down the daily workout routine
Any Wellington orthodontist will surely suggest that you need to bring down your workout routine a notch to heal properly. Your body is already exhausted from the procedure, so you need to have patience and give yourself a holiday from exhaustive exercise.
2. Rest
This goes without saying that you need to take ample rest. It is when you rest that the body starts the healing process. The number of days you need to take rest depends on the implants placed inside your jaw.
3. Fill up with nutrients
Make sure you amp up the nutritional intake after the surgery. This is especially true if you have had multiple implants. Add proper vitamin supplements after consulting with your doctor. Your diet shall be restricted to liquid food or a soft diet, so you need to make up for it by boosting the nutritional intake.
4. Take prescribed antibiotics
The patients should make it a habit of taking the prescribed antibiotics at the time given the fact as they help with the prevention of any kind of infection at the site of the surgery. Normally, 24 hours post-surgery, the doctors suggest an oral rinse at least twice a day to avoid any bacterial buildup in the site with dental implants.
5. Bleeding
Blood seen in your saliva is normal, especially during the initial 24 hours after the surgery. It is suggested that the patients bite on the gauze pads every so often to lessen the blood flow. Make sure you are gentle while doing so, or it can turn back on you with increased blood flow if the pressure is too much.
6. Pain
As soon as the anesthetic starts wearing off after the surgery, you will start feeling the pain from the procedure. This is when you need to take pain medications to avoid exhaustion from pain. Any pain medication available over-the-counter can help which including names such as ibuprofen, Aleve, and Tylenol, can help with ample relief. Additionally, if you aren’t sure about which one to take, ask your doctor to prescribe one for you.
7. Hygiene
For the implants to receive proper healing, you need to keep the mouth super clean. Follow your regular brushing schedule, but try to avoid any rubbing off with any kind of sutures and refrain from brushing the teeth. Make sure you add to your routine the saltwater rinses that will effectively disinfect the environment inside the mouth.
8. Swelling
After the surgery for a dental implant, a degree of swelling is expected. To minimize the swelling, try and keep the head elevated with lowered activity levels that will help bring down the irritation in the area. Use the ice packs during the initial 48 hours, which will help the area heal faster with less irritation in the spot.
9. Wear the prosthesis correctly
Things such as flippers, partial dentures, retainers, full dentures, or even the night guards should be refrained from use for a minimum of ten days after completion of the dental implants. For special cases that require wearing the prosthesis, you need to consult the doctor and ensure you are wearing the same in the right way.
10. Avoid smoking
Avoid smoking after the surgery for at least two weeks, as it essentially increases the risk for infection. Additionally, it can also enhance the risk factor for the failure of the integration of the dental implants.
Many patients also experience sensitivity during routine cleaning after implants. For detailed advice, check this guide on sensitive teeth and dental cleaning, which explains how to protect your smile with confidence.
