Postoperative Instructions: Dental Implants

Your dental implant procedure requires special care to ensure proper healing without complications.

The following instructions will help you achieve this goal:

• Take antibiotics as prescribed until gone. If you develop a rash, hives, itching, or difficulty breathing, discontinue medication and call our office right away.
• Beginning the day after your procedure, use warm saltwater rinses using light swishing. Do not vigorously swish or blow your cheeks out. The sutures and tissues are fragile, and excessive forces may open the incision.
• Beginning the day after your procedure, carefully clean visible implant components with a Q-tip. Avoid any trauma to the gum tissues.
• The sutures that are used are resorbable or dissolvable. These will come out on their own in approximately 21 days. Do not attempt to remove the sutures yourself.
• Avoid aggravation to the site by contact with your tongue or abrasive food.
• A nasal decongestant, such as Sudafed^®, is advised for those patients who have had a sinus lift with implant placement.