Important Aftercare Tips for Dental Implants | Diet, Do’s & Don’ts
April 1, 2023
Your teeth do so much more than just tear and chew food. They play a pivotal role in maintaining your facial integrity, enhancing facial expressions, and even pronunciation. If you lose some or all of them, you can expect your quality of life to plummet.
That’s why our dentist in Houston, TX 77059 recommends dental implants whenever you have missing teeth. Dental implants allow you to replace the entire tooth, from the root to the crown. In other words, your dental aesthetics and tooth functions will be fully restored.
But getting implants can be an involving process, especially during healing. You will need to take it easy and follow some instructions for some time to allow the jawbone and the gums to heal. So, how do you care for implants? Let’s find out!
What Are Teeth Implants?
Tooth implants are root replacements since they are inserted into the jawbone. They are root-sized and typically made from titanium. However, the implant is never complete until it is covered using a tooth crown, denture, or dental bridge. Tooth implants offer what other replacements don’t – stability.
What are the Benefits of Getting Dental Implants?
It is always beneficial to replace missing teeth since your teeth serve a lot of functions. So this means that getting dental implants will come with several benefits, such as:
- They offer stability because they are surgically inserted into the jawbone.
- They offer permanency and durability since they are made from titanium and are firmly fused with the jawbone.
- Dental implants restore normal jawbone function and stimulation, which stops jawbone loss, a common effect of missing teeth.
- They restore the chewing and speech functionality of your teeth.
- They enhance your appearance because having missing teeth is unsightly and causes loss of facial integrity.
What are the Aftercare Tips for Dental Implants?
Getting a dental implant inserted is usually an outpatient surgical procedure. Therefore, you can expect that you will need some time to recover because the procedure is invasive. As you have read through the benefits, you have seen that it comes with some benefits, which will outweigh the discomfort of caring for them.
So, here are the tips that our dentist near Clear Lake recommends that you should follow:
Diet Tips for Dental Implants
- Hot, spicy, and acidic foods and drinks are not your friends. Your gums need to heal after the implant surgery. Taking hot, spicy, or acidic foods and drinks will cause a burning sensation, inflammation, and pain, increasing discomfort and healing time.
- Tough, sticky, crunchy, and chewy foods should not be a part of your diet. These foods require a lot of biting and chewing, and you must apply a lot of force chewing. This is bad for your gums and jawbone since the vigorous will impede healing, cause pain, and can get stuck between your teeth.
- Cold soups, smoothies, and soft foods should be your staple immediately after surgery. These foods are kind to your sore gums and healing jawbone. They also offer the necessary nutrients for healing.
Do’s after Dental Implants
- You need to follow our dentist’s postoperative instructions. You will receive instructions from our dentist to guide you throughout the healing process. Trust that the instructions have been pieced together after years of practice and will help you get the best out of the healing period.
- Place ice throughout the day to deal with the swelling. Swelling will occur after the procedure, so you can use a cold compress to help bring the swelling down and reduce pain.
- Always take the medication our implant dentist in 77059 prescribes to deal with pain and reduce the chances of bacterial infection.
- Take plenty of rest, especially after receiving the dental implant. Even though getting dental implants is an outpatient procedure, it doesn’t mean you can go about your day without resting. Rest helps the body heal much faster.
- Elevate your head while resting. You can prop your head with pillows to keep the head above your heart to maintain proper blood flow to your head. This also helps reduce swelling and excessive bleeding.
- Take care of your teeth. Cleaning your teeth is still a priority; therefore, you must brush your teeth daily. The only thing is that you have to do it as instructed by our dentist.
Don’ts after Dental Implants
- Stay away from vigorous activities and exercise. After your surgery, take it easy and don’t try exercising since these activities increase the heartbeat, leading to increased blood flow to the surgical site. Therefore, the site will bleed and swell more than usual.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking greatly hinders healing and is the leading cause of implant failure. It increases pain and causes oral infection.
- Don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol interferes with the action of some medications. Plus, they make it harder for the gums to heal.
Consult With an Implant Dentist Near You
Placing dental implants is one part, but the success of the procedure lies with you. Caring for the implant begins right after the surgery and will continue for several months. Afterward, you will resume regular dental cleaning. Are you looking to get tooth implants near Clear Lake, TX? Contact us at American Modern Dental if you need any assistance to get dental implants in Houston, TX!