How Long Does It Take To Recover From a Dental Implant Procedure?

What To Expect Days After Dental Implant Surgery?

Dental implants are a cosmetic dentistry tool that can be used to effectively replace lost teeth with artificial teeth that look, feel, and function just like natural teeth. Your dental implants are made of three parts:

• Tiny titanium posts that your Gilbert dentist will place into your jawbone
• An abutment, a tiny piece that connects the post with the artificial tooth
• The artificial crown, bridge, or denture that is secured into the abutment and is the only visible part of the dental implant

As with any other dental surgery, dental implants will need some time to heal. Not only do your gums need to recover, but your bones will also need time to accept and heal around the titanium posts. Your Gilbert dentist office will guide you through the stages of dental implant procedure and recovery. Depending on the number of implants you receive, recovery could be as little as two weeks or may take a few months.

What Should I Expect After My Implant Procedure?

The recovery procedure from dental implants will look a little different for each person. Additionally, the type of implant procedure you have will affect the length of healing process, the amount of pain you should expect, and when your mouth will be fully adjusted to your new normal.

Pain

If you’ve had just one dental implant and your jawbone is in good condition, you can expect minor discomfort for just a couple of weeks after your implant procedure. Your swelling should be minimal and you can expect to get back to eating your full, normal diet in 7-10 days after surgery. More complex procedures generally require a longer recovery time. If you’ve had multiple implants, your dentist will likely recommend eating soft foods only for the next 4-6 weeks and you may be prescribed stronger pain medication for the first few days after surgery.

Healing

The length of time it will take to recover after your dental implant procedure will depend on whether you also had teeth extracted or required bone grafting, your overall oral health, the size of your implants, the health of your jawbone, and other circumstances. Your Gilbert dental office will offer personalized recommendations based on your specific surgery. In most cases, the initial healing of your dental implants will be completed within 7-10 days after surgery. Almost all patients will require 3-6 months for the full integration of the dental implant into their jawbone and a complete recovery.

Diet

Your dentist will advise you to be careful with your diet after your implant surgery. It’s best to avoid any foods or drinks that are very hot, very cold, chewy, tough, or spicy, as well as carbonated beverages and alcohol while the surgical area in your mouth heals. Your dentist will recommend liquids and soft foods such as:

• Bananas, peaches, and other soft fruits
• Avocado
• Smoothies
• Cooked, soft vegetables
• Fish
• Shredded meats that are tender and easier to eat
• Juices, filtered water, and plenty of fluids

Self Care

You’ll need to arrange care for yourself, your home, and any dependent family members while you initially recover from surgery. If you had a sedative for the procedure, you’ll feel drowsy for the first day or two after surgery and will need to stay in bed or on the couch to rest. Avoid driving, lifting, bending, and any other mental or physical work that could dislodge the blood clots in your mouth and cause bleeding to start. You may feel more comfortable sleeping with extra pillows that elevate your head.

In the first few days after dental implant surgery, your Gilbert dental clinic will advise that you avoid exercise. Light yoga, walking, or sitting outside may be encouraged to keep your muscles moving without straining on your body.

Rinse your mouth with salt water and avoid brushing or flossing in the surgical area until it heals. If you experience bruising or swelling in your face, apply ice periodically. Although infection is uncommon, you should notify your dentist immediately if you discover pus in your mouth or develop a fever.

Follow-up

Your Gilbert dental clinic will schedule follow up appointments after your surgery to check on your new implants and ensure that your body is healing as it should. Your new dental implants will require routing professional cleaning just like your natural teeth. Your medical history, oral hygiene routine, and lifestyle choices will determine the outcome of your dental implants. We are sure you will love the way your new teeth look and feel in your mouth!

Who Is a Good Candidate For Invisalign?

The first step to becoming a good candidate for Invisalign is to learn the factors that make you one. Let’s check these factors below. 

Age Range

The ideal age range for Invisalign treatment is between 15 and 22 years old, although some patients as young as 12 have been able to benefit from this procedure. If you’re older than 22, it may be more difficult for your dentist to create an accurate set of aligners because your teeth will likely have already begun shifting into their final position by this point.

Orthodontic Needs

If you already have braces or you’ll get them soon, Invisalign might not be the best choice–it could be too expensive! Your Gilbert dentist will be able to tell whether or not there’s enough room in between the brackets on your current set-up.

This way, the dentist can place new ones without interfering with each other too much (or at all).

In short, the best you can do is to ask your dentist if you are a good candidate for Invisalign. 

Preparing For Invisalign Treatment

Before starting the treatment, make sure you are a good candidate for Invisalign! As mentioned before, your first step is to visit the orthodontist and discuss your treatment plan. 

The dentists will take impressions of your teeth and then send these impressions to Align Technology (the company that makes Invisalign) to create 3D models of each tooth.

The next step is deciding whether or not you want braces and Invisalign at the same time or if you’d rather wait until your braces come off. If this interests you, speak with both dentists (if you need two dentists) about their recommendations so they can work together seamlessly during each stage of treatment!

The Invisalign Treatment Process

The Invisalign treatment process is a series of steps that you will go through to get your aligners, wear them, change them and then follow up with your Gilbert dentist.

The first step is getting the aligners made. This step can take anywhere from two weeks to three months depending on how soon you can get in for an appointment. 

Once they are ready, you will receive them in your dentist’s office (or even at home if necessary) along with instructions on how best to care for them before wearing them for the first time.

You should also receive a case for storing your aligners when not in use to keep them clean and free from damage during travel or storage at home!

After that, you can enjoy the fun part–wearing those little plastic trays! It won’t seem like anything new for people who’ve had braces.

But if it’s been a while since you have worn braces, then getting used to them again may take some time–especially since these aren’t visible! Just remember: no matter how weird-looking these things might seem at first glance–they’re worth it once we see results later down line!

Invisalign Alternatives

Invisalign alternatives are clear aligners and retainers. Clear aligners are similar to Invisalign because they’re also made of plastic and you can remove them, but they don’t require any adjustments or visits to the Gilbert dentist. The biggest difference is that clear aligners don’t move teeth as much as Invisalign does–they’re more like traditional braces than anything else.

Retainers are removable appliances that keep your teeth from moving after treatment has ended. You can usually wear them at night while you sleep or during meals when food could dislodge them if you aren’t careful about keeping them clean (and even then, it’s still possible).

Can I Get Invisalign In A Trusted Gilbert Dental Clinic?

At Gilbert Vista Dental, we have skilled and trusted dentists ready to evaluate you and let you know if you’re a perfect candidate for Invisalign. Contact us now or schedule a visit through our website to get started!

Gilbert Vista Dental Care
2451 East Baseline Road #210
Gilbert, AZ 85234
Phone: (480) 503-5467
Email: info@drritapeck.com
Website: https://drritapeck.com/