After you receive dental implants, your body will go through a healing period. Throughout that time, it is important that you do — and avoid doing — certain activities. Otherwise, you could jeopardize the success of your new teeth. What are some things that you should not do after your dental implant surgery? This blog post explains.
Smoking
Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your oral health. It significantly increases the risk of dental implant surgery because it can slow down your body’s healing process and compromise its ability to fight off infections. You should avoid smoking in the weeks before and after your surgery. Of course, it would be ideal if you permanently quit the habit.
Vigorous Exercise
It would be wise to set aside a few days to rest after your surgery. Too much physical exertion could cause extra bleeding and discomfort. When you start to feel up to it, you can gradually resume your normal workout routine.
Eating Hard and Crunchy Foods
You can expect your mouth to be sore and tender during the days after your surgery. Hard and crunchy foods are likely to cause irritation; they might even interfere with your healing process. Try to stick to foods that require little or no chewing until after you are mostly recovered.
Drinking Alcohol
Alcohol can interfere with the formation of blood clots at your surgical sites, so you should not indulge in any adult beverages for at least 10 days or so after your procedure. It is also important that you do not mix alcohol with any pain medications that your dentist might prescribe; they can interact with each other in dangerous ways.
Drinking through a Straw
Under normal circumstances, it is fine to drink through a straw — it might even be beneficial for your teeth. After dental implant surgery, however, straws should be avoided. That is because the suction action could interfere with the blood clots at your surgical sites, which could lead to painful complications.
Rinsing Aggressively
Oral hygiene is important after dental implant surgery, but you should be careful not to overdo it. When you use your mouthwash, do not swish it vigorously around your mouth. Instead, move it gently around your oral cavity. Otherwise, you could end up causing irritation at your surgical sites. When you finish, let the liquid flow out of your mouth; do not spit it out.
Your dental team wants you to enjoy a smooth recovery after your implant surgery. Avoid the above-listed activities to help your body heal!
Meet the Practice
The team at the Center for Contemporary Dentistry is proud to offer start-to-finish dental implant treatment in a welcoming, modern environment. If you have questions about implant surgery or what to expect afterward, we would be pleased to speak with you. Get in touch with our Belmont office at 603-556-7047.