After Placement of Dental Implant

POST OP INSTRUCTIONS FOR DENTAL IMPLANTS AND GRAFTING

Please read the following instructions carefully.  Following these instructions is essential to achieve a successful result.  Also, these instructions will make your dental implant or bone graft postoperative course more comfortable and will help to avert any unnecessary complications.  If there are any questions or problems, please contact our office during normal business hours at Greenville Office Phone Number 864-458-9800.

  1. If you have received IV sedation, a responsible adult must accompany you from the facility to home, and remain with you until the next morning.
  2. After leaving our office, rest and avoid strenuous activities for the remainder of the day and tomorrow.  Keep your head elevated (extra pillow) the first two nights after your surgery.
  3. Moderate discomfort is expected for the next two days.  If necessary, take the pain medication that has been prescribed.  Take only as directed.  If these do not alleviate your discomfort, please call the office.
  4. Expect some swelling.   It may take 3-4 days before it reaches maximum.  Bruising may also occur.  Immediately after surgery, ice packs should be applied to the outside of the face over the area affected.  Apply for 20 minutes on/20 minutes off.  Repeat this alternating procedure for the first day only.
  5. Slight bleeding may continue for up to 24 hour or so.   This is not unusual and is not cause for alarm.  Rinsing the mouth interferes with the clotting of the blood, so do not rinse vigorously the first evening.  If excessive bleeding occurs it may be stopped by biting with firm compression on a wet roll or gauze dressing, for 30-45 minutes.  Sitting quietly in an upright position will also aid in the control of bleeding.  If these measures do not succeed, call the office.
  6. A slight fever is usual for a day or so following any surgery.  Fever may be caused by inadequate fluid intake as well.  An Adult should consume 8-12 glasses of fluid each day.  If an antibiotic was prescribed, be sure to take as directed.  If prolonged or extreme, please do not hesitate to call the office.
  7. ALCOHOL AND SMOKING ARE ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS FOLLOWING SURGERY.
  8. For Grafting Patients, Your bone graft may be made up of many sand like particles. You may find some small granules in your mouth for several days. Do not be alarmed, this is normal for these to come out initially in small amounts. You can minimize the amount of particles that become dislodged by:
    • Do not disturb or touch the wound.
    • Avoid rinsing or spitting for 2 days to allow blood clot and graft material stabilization.
    • Do not apply pressure with your tongue or fingers to the grafted area, as the material is movable during the initial healing period. 
    • Do not lift or pull on the lip to look at the sutures. This can actually cause damage to the wound site and tear the sutures.
    • DO not smoke.
  9. If you are wearing a denture, please discuss this with your surgeon. Typically they should be used as little as possible the first 2 weeks after surgery.
  10. The following is recommended for oral hygiene:   After today, rinse several times daily with warm salt water, especially after eating.  Do not rinse vigorously the day of surgery.  Commercial mouth rinses or other disinfectants should not be used unless prescribed for you.  You may brush your natural teeth the first day of surgery, being careful not to disturb surgical sites.
  11. Only soft foods should be consumed for the first 5 days following surgery, to avoid trauma to the surgical sites.  After 5 days, you may advance your diet as tolerated.  If you have no teeth, consume only liquids or pureed food.  Semi-liquids or mashed foods may be added to the diet after the 5th day. 
  12. OFFICE CALLS:    During regular office hours (8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Thursday and 8 AM to 12 PM on Friday) there will be staff members available to answer problems and questions at Greenville Office Phone Number 864-458-9800 or Brevard Office Phone Number 828-862-8648.
    • If necessary, your phone message and chart will be given to Dr. Williams to address any further questions or concerns.  Please be sure to provide a phone number where you can be reached in the evening.
    • Prescription refills will only be called in during regular business hours, as your records need to be available for Dr. Williams.
    • Dr. Williams will not be able to refill a controlled substance prescription after office hours.   
    • After hours, or on days the office is closed, Dr. Williams can be paged through our answering service for urgent or emergency calls only.   If your call is not returned within 30 minutes, please contact the answering service again.  Please remember Dr. Williams may be handling emergencies.

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