Congratulations on the delivery of your dental implant! Your dental team has given you detailed instructions on how to care for your new dental implant, but caring for your dental implant is not finished immediately following its surgical placement. The long-term success of your dental implant is based on the shared responsibility of care between the patient and the dental team.

To understand your responsibility in the long-term management of your dental implant, the process of surgical dental implant placement should be understood. Let us discuss the process of osseointegration, and its role in the success of surgical implant placement.

The dental implant healing process

Osseointegration is the biological manner in which your dental implant unifies and becomes a structurally fixed component of your jawbone. While this mimics the ligament that naturally joins the tooth to the jawbone, it is not the same. Therefore, dental implant care and treatment are different from that with a natural tooth.

Bacteria is commonly present in the oral environment. Even with exceptional oral hygiene and dental treatment, it will still be present. Peri-implantitis refers to when the bacteria normally found in the oral cavity are introduced into the bone surrounding the implant. This is the space where osseointegration has occurred around the implant and what connects the implant to the jawbone. The presence of bacteria in this area can slowly degrade the bone around this connection, loosen the implant, and in severe cases force the implant to come out.

Postoperative care for your dental implant

This is where your role as a dental patient is so critical. It will be necessary for you to follow certain steps to ensure you retain your implant for its lifetime.

Immediately following your procedure, you will receive specific instructions on how to care for your new implant-both for immediate post-surgical care, and throughout the lifecycle of your dental implant. It may all seem very overwhelming and hard to understand at first. Do not be afraid to ask questions or call your dental provider when uncertain. If possible, have someone accompany you to the appointment to listen when postoperative instructions are given. It is also advisable to have post-operative documentation be given in writing for future reference.

Postoperative care for your dental implant will include a specific oral hygiene regimen as well as how to prevent postoperative infection and discomfort. Your dentist will prescribe antibiotics to help prevent infection in the new surgical site, and medication to prevent discomfort for the first few days following the surgery. It is especially important that you take all the medication as prescribed by your dentist.

Bleeding around the surgical site is normal for the first few hours after surgery. Your dentist will give you gauze to bite down on to apply pressure to the area to control this. You will need to change the gauze several times as it slows down. If the bleeding continues or worsens, make sure to call your dental office.

Postoperative discomfort is normal following your dental implant surgery. Most patients feel that this resolves around the third day. If you have mild discomfort following the procedure, over the counter analgesics such as Tylenol or Advil are effective at controlling pain. If you have pain that continues or worsens over time, call your dental office.

Swelling and bruising around the surgical site is also quite common. To remedy this, you can apply a cold compress for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off the site for the first couple of days after the procedure.

You will be able to eat and drink as normal after your dental surgery, but a soft food diet is recommended at first – eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese are all great choices. Choosing foods that are high in protein assist in the healing process. Avoid spicy foods that can irritate your new dental implant site immediately following surgery. Avoid drinking anything through a straw for the first 48 hours following the surgery.

Smoking is not advisable during the healing process. This can delay healing and create opportunities for potential infection. Even after your dental implant has healed completely, smoking can have negative effects on your oral health and the supportive tissues around your dental implant. Avoid smoking during the initial phases of healing or eliminate it altogether.

Call your dental office right away if you experience an increased amount of pain or bleeding, a bad taste in your mouth, if you develop a fever, or if the implant feels loose.

Your oral hygiene is related to the long-term success of your new dental implant. This starts immediately following the surgical placement of your dental implant.

Immediately following surgery, you will still want to brush and floss your natural teeth as normal , but you will want to avoid the new dental implant site until initial healing has occurred. Avoid swishing or gargling anything in your mouth for the first couple of days. This can disrupt your body’s ability to retain the new blood cells created to heal the surgical site. After this, your dentist may prescribe an antimicrobial mouth rinse or have you gargle with salt water. This will keep the surgical site free from bacteria and promote healing.

After surgical healing is complete, it is necessary that you follow a strict oral hygiene regimen, which should include:
- Brushing twice a day for two minutes
- Visiting your dental office for a dental cleaning two times a year (or more in some cases)
- Having radiographs taken regularly to determine the health of your dental implant

Osseointegration takes time, similar to the amount of time to heal a broken bone. You will be visiting your dental office frequently during this time to assess the implant and how it is healing. For a few months, you will need to treat the site carefully to ensure the process of osseointegration is not disrupted. Be communicative with your dental office and inform them of any changes you see with your new dental implant.

In addition to continual care for your dental implant, be sure to apprise your dental office of any changes to your medical prescriptions or medical history. They can help ensure that these changes will not impact the health of your dental implant.

Resources:

Ichioka, Y., Derks, J., Larsson, L., & Berglundh, T. (2023). Surface decontamination of explanted peri-implantitis-affected implants. Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 50(8), 1113-1122. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpe.13836

Kahn A, Masri D, Shalev T, Meir H, Sebaoun A, Chaushu L. Patients' Perception of Recovery after Dental Implant Placement. Medicina (Kaunas). 2021 Oct 15;57(10):1111. doi: 10.3390/medicina57101111. PMID: 34684148; PMCID: PMC8538387.

Osseointegration is the process in which Parithimarkalaignan, S., & Padmanabhan, T. V. (2013). Osseointegration: An Update. The Journal of the Indian Prosthodontic Society, 13(1), 2-6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13191-013-0252-z