5 Things NOT to Do While Recovering from Dental Implant Surgery
Taking care of your mouth while it’s recovering from surgery is an essential part of the dental implant process. It’s important for your jawbone to heal properly so that it joins with the implant post. As such, you need to do everything you can to avoid complications in the days following dental implant surgery. While you will typically be able to return to work in as little as two or three days, there are still some activities that you should refrain from doing during the initial recovery process. Here are 5 things that you should avoid doing right after getting dental implants.
1. Smoking
It’s no secret that smoking is bad for your oral health. What you may not know is that smoking (or using tobacco products in general) can actively hinder your mouth’s ability to heal. This can be a major obstacle for dental implants, as your mouth needs to be able to heal properly in order to integrate with the posts. It’s therefore in your best interest to stop smoking once you’ve received dental implants; in fact, you should ideally drop the habit altogether, as it could potentially contribute to implant failure later.
2. Drinking with a Straw
A blood clot will form around the surgical site to protect it. You want to avoid dislodging this blood clot, as doing so can be very painful and may slow down recovery. The suction of drinking through a straw can very easily lead to dislodged blood clot. As such, you should drink all beverages straight from the cup during the dental implant recovery process.
3. Intense Physical Activity
Exercise causes your blood to flow faster. This is normally a good thing, but when you’re still recovering from implant surgery, it can cause bleeding. You should plan on avoiding intense physical activity for about 2 to 3 days until your dentist has confirmed that your mouth has sufficiently recovered.
4. Excessive Rinsing
While rinsing your mouth can help reduce the risk of infection, you should avoid vigorous rinsing for at least the first couple of days after your surgery. If you rinse too hard, it could end up dislodging the blood clot and cause bleeding. The preferred method is to gently swish the fluid around in your mouth, then let it pour out into the sink; do not spit.
5. Overly Hard or Hot Foods
You should plan on only eating soft foods for at least a few days after implant surgery. Additionally, stay away from hot or spicy foods, as they can irritate the dental implant site and affect the healing process. If you’re not sure when it’s safe to reintroduce hard or hot foods into your diet, talk to your dentist.
Your dentist may have additional instructions for things to avoid after your dental implant surgery. Be sure to follow these instructions to the letter and call immediately if something unexpected happens. Dental implants can change your life for the better, so it’s in your best interest to do everything you can to ensure their success.