Recovery After Dental Implants: Guidelines to follow

Dental implants are one of the latest inventions in the dental field. Dental implants have been available for a few years now, and they seem to offer an excellent solution to a very common problem – missing teeth. 

 The most important thing that patients must know about tooth implants Melbourne is that they look and feel like natural teeth.  A dental implant is a titanium post that looks like a screw inserted into the jawbone to fuse with the bone over time. A replacement tooth can then be fixed onto this metal screw, thus creating a new anchor for your artificial tooth or bridge. 

As dental implants cost about as much as one would spend on fixing several old fashioned bridges, they are often fitted together with crowns and/or veneers. 

You first need to undergo surgery on your gums so that the doctor can implant titanium screw-like posts into your jawbone. This process takes about an hour per tooth. Yikes! 

Fortunately, titanium screws aren’t very porous, and infections are relatively rare after this type of dental implant surgery. However, if you experience an infection around the surgical site, it will worsen because the invading bacteria may destroy more bone. 

It would help if you waited then for the surgical site to heal, which can take up to three months.  

Dental implant surgery is not particularly painful, but it’s still pretty uncomfortable, and you will be in pain for a few days after the operation. This discomfort is partly because of any anaesthetic used (if applicable). You may experience slight swelling of your gums and face. 

Later on, the titanium screw will be covered with a crown or other artificial tooth. You will need to visit your dentist frequently so that they can monitor any damage to the surrounding jawbone. It may take up to one year for the jawbone to completely fuse with the titanium screw.

Some risks are involved in this type of surgery, including damage to your gums or oral cavity, infection and complications arising from anaesthesia. You may also experience problems down the line if you need additional dental work done on your newly implanted teeth. 

If you have a poor bone density in your jaw, then the chances are your dentist will not be able to implant this type of artificial tooth. The titanium screw needs to be well attached to your bone, which isn’t possible if you have poor bone density. 

When you’re in the recovery period after dental implant surgery, it’s essential to be careful with your mouth so that you don’t harm yourself or experience additional problems.

Here are some guidelines: 

• For about a week after surgery, avoid foods that might get stuck between your teeth or damage the healing gum tissue surrounding them (like hard chips and popcorn).
• Next, avoid brushing too hard for about two weeks, and use a soft-bristled toothbrush if possible. Then return to using a normal-bristled toothbrush gradually over time once the area has fully healed.
• Finally, try to gently rinse your mouth at least three times a day with a salt-water mouthwash. Don’t worry too much about it if you can’t, but make sure you still practice good oral hygiene when possible.

Also, keep in mind that you probably won’t be feeling 100% fine after the surgery. Dental implants are considered an excellent treatment when it comes to replacing missing teeth, but they still require some getting used to time. 

However, most patients feel 80-90% normal within about six months post-surgery. After that, the mouth and jaw should be back to normal, and the patient starts feeling like themself again. 

If you follow these steps and take appropriate precautions after having dental implants surgery, you should have no problems recovering from the procedure. However, people usually say that the recovery time was shorter than they were expecting!