If you need to replace missing or badly damaged teeth, dental implants are the next best thing to real teeth. An implant bridge can last for many years, as long as you take good care of it and follow your dentist’s advice during your healing period.
Read this guide to learn what comes next after getting dental implants, and contact our Brisbane dentists if you have any questions or need personalised advice.
What happens after implant surgery?
After your dental implants are placed in your jaw, you’ll be able to resume most activities within a few hours, but you should avoid exertion and follow your dentist’s advice about what to eat and how to care for the treated area. This can also depend on the type of sedation used during the treatment, with IV sedation and general anaesthesia having a longer recovery period than local anaesthesia.
Your dentist will arrange a follow-up appointment after about one week to remove the stitches and check your healing progress. Dental implants need time to fuse with the bone and create a stable foundation for your replacement teeth, which can take between 3 and 6 months, depending on the type of implants and condition of your jaw. During this time, you’ll be fitted with a temporary bridge or denture until your permanent teeth are ready.
Is it painful to get dental implants?
Dental implants are placed under local anaesthesia or other sedation, so you won’t feel any pain during the procedure itself. Once the anaesthetic fades, it’s normal to feel some pain or discomfort for up to a few days, which can be managed by taking over-the-counter pain relief medication or other remedies. You may also experience some light bleeding for a day or two, and other symptoms such as bruising or swelling.
If pain or bleeding continues for longer than a few days, or you have other unexpected symptoms, you should contact an emergency dentist.
Looking after your dental implants
Dental implants have a high success rate, but the risk of implant failure is greater if you don’t follow your dentist’s advice during the recovery period. This includes:
- Keeping your mouth clean and practising good oral hygiene
- Eating a soft diet for the first week after treatment
- Not smoking
- Taking any antibiotics or other medication you’ve been prescribed
To care for your implants in the long term, it’s important to keep up with your regular dental check-ups so your dentist can monitor the condition of your implants, your bridge and your oral health, and can address any problems at an early stage when they’re usually easier to treat. With good care, your replacement teeth could last for many years before they need to be replaced, while the underlying implants could last a lifetime.
Find out more about dental implants in Brisbane
If you need to talk to a dentist about your implants or you want to know more about your teeth replacement options, talk to our experts at Swish Dental. Call our team in Everton Park on (07) 3355 1422 or our Mitchelton clinic on (07) 3354 3341, or book an appointment online.