Frequently Asked Questions – Implants
As soon as you feel comfortable enough to eat you can do so. A soft diet is recommended. Please avoid drink and food products that are excessively hot for the first day as they may encourage bleeding.
For 6 hours following the procedure place ice packs on the side of your face every 10-15 minutes to help reduce the swelling.
If you were prescribed any medication it is imperative that you take it as prescribed. Your local anaesthetic will begin to wear off at the 2-hour mark, it is best to take pain relief at the 1 hour and 30-minute mark so that it is active in your system prior to the anaesthetic wearing off.
Please avoid vigorous mouth rinsing for the first 12 hours as this may stimulate bleeding. After 12 hours, you should rinse your mouth gently 4 times a day for at least one week starting from the day after your surgery. You may use mouthwash (e.g. Difflam-C or Savacol or salt-water mouth rinses).
Clean your teeth 3 times a day from the day after your surgery with a soft, toothbrush avoiding the area that was stitched for 1 week.
Smoking is to be avoided as this will contribute to implant failure.
It is normal for swelling to increase during the first 2 to 3 days and this should slowly subside over one week. You may also experience some bruising. If bone grafting has been performed to the site then increased swelling and bruising can occur.
One stage procedure: If your implant is a one stage procedure, you will have a temporary healing cap in place. After one week of healing, commence gently brushing in this area after. For cleaning during the first week, please use mouth rinses to keep it clean. To minimise the chance of the healing cap dislodging, avoid using an electric toothbrush, if it does dislodge keep the healing cap and contact our practice immediately.
For 3 months, avoid chewing hard foods over the healing cap site. After 3 months, you will have a review appointment where the implant is assessed and an X-Ray performed. If the implant is ready to be restored, then you can proceed to have the implant crown placed.
Two stage procedure: If you have had a two-stage procedure, the stitches placed in your mouth will dissolve. Generally, they will fall out on their own between 2 -4 weeks. In some cases, the stitches do not dissolve on their own, if after 4 weeks they are causing irritation, please contact our practice and we will happily remove them from you. Keep the area clean with mouth rinses for 1-2 weeks.
For the second stage (4-6 months after the first) you will need to arrange a follow up appointment where your dentist will expose the implant. A small incision will be made, the implant will be tested, a healing cap placed and the gums subsequently sutured. Please allow 3-4 weeks of healing after this this appointment for the gums to heal and settle before you can return to your dentist to start the process of placing a crown (tooth) on the implant.
Temporary teeth/Dentures: If you have had a temporary denture or tooth made, it may need to be adjusted by the practitioner to fit over