When you have had oral implants fitted, the next few weeks and months will be vital to ensure that they fuse correctly with the surrounding jaw.
This means that you will be responsible for overseeing many rather delicate aspects of aftercare which will need to be followed to prevent infection and increase the overall success of the implant fitting. Luckily, none of the aftercare surrounding implants is excessively strenuous or difficult and with the oversight of a trained dental team who have experience in fitting dental implants Bondi Junction, this process should go off smoothly.
So, without further ado, here are 5 tips to help you with the aftercare of your oral implant fitting.
Keep the area clean
The first thing you need to do is to keep the area where the implant was fitted clean for the first few days after fitting. This is likely to be difficult as the gum line will be swollen and usually stitched together to hold the implant in place and most dental teams will advise against brushing during this time. Instead, they will suggest that you use lukewarm salt water to remove debris and reduce the inflammation of the area. Use this technique as and when required throughout the day and only begin brushing the area when your dental team has given you the green light.
Keep an eye out for infection
While it is uncommon, infections can occur when you have had oral implants fitted. These can be devastating for the process of fusing, so you will need to keep an eye out for signs of infection which will include discomfort, fever, discolouration of the gum line, nausea, vomiting and excessive swelling. If you spot any of these signs or are concerned that you have an infection, be sure to contact your dental team as soon as possible.
Keep in touch with your dental team
Post fitting of oral implants, you need to keep in regular contact with your dental team. This is to ensure that the implants are fusing as planned and that there are no secondary complications which could cause an issue. In most cases, you will need to see the dental team one week after the fitting and then every two weeks thereafter. This may then be spaced out to once a month until the implants have fused, but be sure to stay in touch either way!
Keep pain relief to hand
While it is true that the fitting of oral implants is not uncomfortable, it’s worth noting that there may be a twinge or two after the procedure and the anaesthetic has worn off. To manage this, you should keep pain relief on hand, such as paracetamol and avoid taking ibuprofen or aspirin as this worsens bruising.
Keep yourself healthy
You will also need to keep your general health in tip-top condition to ensure successful fusing. This will also ensure that the fusing happens as predicted. This includes drinking 8 glasses of water a day, maintaining a healthy diet and refraining from smoking or consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, as these can delay the fusing process.
DISCLAIMER OFFSITE
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.