The Do’s and Don’ts After Dental Implant

Why Nutrition is Important for Periodontal Health What is Scaling & Root Planing?At
Delaware Periodontics, we provide a variety of periodontal services to patients living in and around
Wilmington, Dover, and New Castle County. Your smile is one of the first things people notice, and we
want to make sure yours is beautiful for the rest of your life. From dental implants to laser periodontal
therapy, Dr. Klassman will go above and beyond to find a personalized treatment plan that is right for you.
If you do opt for our high-quality dental implants, there’s a couple of of important things you
need to know regarding post-operative care. Below is an overview of how you should care
for your dental implants once you’ve had them placed in your mouth.
APPLY AN ICE PACK
When you arrive home following your surgery, place an ice pack on your face over the area
for 20 minutes. The remove the pack and re-apply. Continue this cycle for three to four
hours. This will help control swelling. If swelling persists for more than four days, contact our
office for instructions.
AVOID RINSING YOUR MOUTH OUT
For the first few hours after surgery, do not rinse out your mouth. Slow oozing (bleeding)
may occur for several hours. If the bleeding is excessive, apply gauze or a tea bag
moistened in warm water on the site of the bleeding and hold it in place with continuous
pressure for ½ hour and avoid spitting. Repeat if needed. If the bleeding persists, contact
us.
DON’T EAT RIGHT AFTER SURGERY
Eating should be avoided for at least two hours following your surgery. For the first day after
surgery, stick to a soft food diet or fluids that require little or no chewing. Good foods to eat
include soft pasta, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, yogurt or a milkshake. If you do need
to chew, do so on the side of your mouth that was not operated on.
DO NOT DISTURB THE SURGICAL DRESSING
The surgical dressing or “pack” was placed in your mouth for several reasons, with the most
important being to assist in the healing process and to allow for more comfortable eating.
Do not “play” with the dressing using your tongue and refrain from smoking, eating, or
drinking warm fluids for at least two hours following your procedure
There are multiple benefits of dental implants over other conventional teeth replacement
options. Patients who are considering dental implants do so because they understand that
implants are designed to look, feel and function more like their natural teeth. However,
maintaining your dental implants is critical to ensuring you get the maximum value and
results of your implants in the long run. We advise you carefully consider these dos and
don’ts after your dental implant procedure.
Do: Take Time to Heal After Surgery

Any surgical procedure requires enough healing time in order to maximize the results. Be
aware of what your body is telling you and do take time off from work or strenuous activities
if you feel like it’s needed. While healing time for each patient varies, we advise taking it
easy for the first week and practice good oral hygiene.

Do: Eat Well and Proportionately

Now that your implants are placed, they’ll require a little time to adjust and connect to your
gum tissue. This means avoiding food that will put more pressure on your new implants that
will cause more pain and potentially longer healing time. Do opt for softer textured foods
such as yogurt, soup, pureed fruits and vegetables and cottage cheese.