After dental implant placement

Bleeding

Some bleeding or redness in the saliva is normal for 24 hours.
Excessive bleeding (your mouth fills up rapidly with blood) can be controlled by biting on a gauze pad placed directly on the bleeding wound for 30 minutes.
If bleeding continues please call our office for further instructions.

Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery.
To minimize swelling, apply an ice bag, or a zip lock bag, or towel filled with ice on the cheek in the area of surgery.
Apply the ice to the swelling 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, for the first 36 hours. It is not necessary to apply ice while sleeping.

Patients should begin taking pain medication as soon as you feel the local anesthetic wearing off.
For moderate pain, Tylenol or Extra Strength Tylenol may be taken every 4-6 hours as directed.
Do not exceed 4000mg of Tylenol in any 24 hour period. Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) maybe taken instead of Tylenol. Ibuprofen, bought over the counter comes in 200 mg tablets: 3-4 tablets may be taken every 6-8 hours as needed for pain.
Do not exceed 3000 mg or Tylenol OR 3200mg of Ibuprofen in any 24 hours period.
For severe pain, the prescribed medication should be taken as directed. Do not take any of the above medication if you are allergic, or if you have been instructed by your doctor not to take it.

Be sure to take the prescribed antibiotics as directed to help prevent infection.

Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing.
The day after surgery, Peridex mouth rinse should be used twice daily, after breakfast and before bed. Be sure to rinse for at least 60 seconds then spit it out. Warm salt water rinses (teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water) should be used at least 4-5 times a day, as well, especially after meals.
Brushing your teeth around the implant and healing abutments is no problem once the surgical site is healed. Be gentle initially with brushing the surgical areas.

Patients are advised to keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery.
If you are considering exercise, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If this occurs, you should discontinue exercising.
Keep in mind that you are probably not taking normal nourishment. This may weaken you and further limit your ability to exercise.

Partial dentures, flippers, or full dentures can be worn, but should not be used for chewing immediately after surgery and for at least 10 days as discussed during the pre-operative consultation appointment.