In the days after your dental implant surgery, it is important that you adhere to post-operative instructions from your care team. Those instructions will include guidance on both what you should do and what you should not do. What are some specific activities that fall into the latter category? This blog post lists some things that you should avoid doing during your recovery period.
Smoke Cigarettes
Smoking is a huge contributor to poor oral health. It can be especially damaging after dental implant placement surgery. Not only can it slow down your body’s healing process, but it can also lower your ability to fight off infections and irritate the sensitive tissue at your surgical sites. Smoking is even associated with a greatly increased risk of dental implant failure!
It would be best to quit smoking completely. However, if that is not feasible for you, you should at least stay away from cigarettes during the weeks before and after your surgery.
Vigorous Exercise
Under normal circumstances, vigorous exercise can be highly beneficial. After oral surgery, though, you need to prioritize rest. Overexerting your body could cause additional bleeding and discomfort at your surgical sites. As you heal, you can gradually resume your usual workout routine.
Eat Hard and Crunchy Foods
You can expect your mouth to be quite tender and sore during the first several days after your procedure. Hard and crunchy foods, such as potato chips, tough meats, and raw vegetables, will only exacerbate your discomfort. You should stick to eating soft foods that require little to no chewing until you are mostly recovered.
Drink Alcohol
Alcohol can interfere with the formation of blood clots at your dental implant sites. It can also cause dangerous interactions with medications, including painkillers that are commonly prescribed after oral surgery. You may need to avoid alcohol for at least a week or two following your procedure.
Drink through a Straw
After any invasive dental procedure, it is wise not to use drinking straws. That is because the suction action could negatively affect the blood clots at your surgical sites, which in turn could lead to painful complications.
Rinse Aggressively
Oral hygiene should always be a top priority, but you may need to modify your routine during your dental implant post-op period. Not only should you be very careful when brushing and flossing, but you should also not rinse vigorously with mouthwash or salt water. Doing so could disturb your surgical sites. Instead, swish the liquid gently around your mouth before letting it flow into the sink (do not spit it out).
You may need to adjust your routine after your dental implant surgery. Comply with your dentist’s instructions so you can enjoy a smooth post-op period.
Meet the Practice
At Santavicca Dental Professionals, we are proud to offer start-to-finish dental implant treatment. We want your experience to be as easy as possible, so you can expect us to provide detailed instructions and post-op support. If you have questions about the dental implant procedure or what to expect during your recovery, we are ready to speak with you. Contact our office at 603-215-7108.