Implant placement, like any surgery, has a recovery time. Patients will need to take a break from their usual routine for a couple of days and should expect some pain and discomfort for the next couple of weeks. With most dental implants , the abutment and crown are placed in a separate appointment from the implant as the implant needs to fuse with the jawbone sufficiently. This means that the patient will need further surgery to finish the restorative procedure. Recovery takes time, and the staff at Surf City Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery are with our patients during their recovery. Our professionals provide detailed aftercare instructions and can answer any questions our patients may have on the placement procedure.
The First Few Weeks
Immediately after the surgery, our oral surgeon will provide aftercare instructions to ensure our patients’ recovery is as smooth as possible. Our team will place gauze sponges on the surgical areas to soak up the blood, as it will take a few hours for any incisions to close up. Patients will need someone to drive them home, as our patients will still be under the influence of anesthesia. Soft foods are advised for the first 48 hours, as hard, spicy and chewy foods can irritate the wounds.
Our patients can resume their normal daily routine within 24-48 hours, although with limited exertion. It is best to skip any activities involving physical exercise for the first week. Pain medication will be given to help with the recovery. After the first week, our patients should only be feeling mild pain, but the recovery time differs from person to person, depending on how extensive the surgery was. During this recovery process, our patients’ dental implant is fusing to the jawbone and creating a strong foundation for the abutment and crown to be placed. Our patients will have a checkup appointment approximately 3 weeks after the surgery. Our oral surgeon will make sure the healing process has gone as planned and can possibly give an estimate for when the abutment and crown can be placed.
After Several Months
Dental implants typically take 4-6 months to properly fuse to the jawbone. Our oral surgeon will fit a temporary crown and abutment until the implant is properly fused. To place the custom-fit crown, the oral surgeon will uncover the dental implant by removing any gum tissue that is obscuring the implant, then place the abutment and crown.
The oral surgeon will ask how it feels and check for any irregularities. There are no complications for a majority of the cases, and the dental implant process is complete. There may be some mild pain and bleeding from the gum tissue that was removed, but the bleeding will be minimal in comparison to the implant placement. Implants do not require any special care or cleaning and act like normal teeth. Our patients can expect the implants to last over 25 years, so their impact on a patient’s life is very minimal once they have been placed.
Dental Implant Placement in Huntington Beach
Surf City Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery makes every effort to provide the best aftercare possible and wants to make the whole treatment plan as accommodating as possible. Our team will try our best to schedule appointments around your own commitments and perform the procedures when it is convenient for you. Contact our team now at 657-384-2787 to book your consultation appointment.