When I had a badly decayed tooth extracted, I got a partial denture to fill in the gap. I didn't mind it at first, because I was just so happy to have my painful tooth out of my mouth. Over time, I began to get tired of taking it out at night. I asked my dentist if I was could get a dental implant, and he said that my gum disease did not make me a good candidate, but a fixed bridge may be a good option for me. I went with his suggestion, and I have no regrets. I love feeling like I have a real tooth again that I don't have to remove at night. I created this blog to remind other people with a missing tooth that they have many replacement options, and if one is not for you, then try another that may be right.
Dental implants are invasive. After all, an artificial tooth root is being placed in your mouth. This means that you likely expect some pain from the procedure. Thankfully, there are some ways that you can reduce your discomfort after the operation. Keep reading to learn about some options.
Take Your Medication
Some people do not like to take medication and will wait to take pain relievers once they feel pain. When it comes to dental implant operations, it is not a good idea to wait. You will feel the most significant pain the day of your operation, and this pain is most intense around the time that the local anesthetic wears off. Anesthetics typically last up to four hours, but this depends on how much of the anesthetic was used and when it was provided to you.
Instead of waiting for your anesthetic to wear off, make sure to take pain medication beforehand. Picking up your prescription and taking it right away is the best choice. Dental professionals will most often prescribe ibuprofen and the 400 to 600-milligram capsules will be provided. While this medication is not as strong as the narcotic medication that is sometimes prescribed, ibuprofen will reduce inflammation. This means that ibuprofen is often better at reducing pain after a dental implant operation than other medicines.
Keep in mind that you may be able to take an extra low does ibuprofen in addition to your prescribe medicine if there is a need. However, make sure to speak with your dental surgeon first to see if this is acceptable.
Reduce Inflammation
While ibuprofen does reduce inflammation, you are likely to notice a great deal of swelling along the surgical area. This is completely normal. However, since the inflammation is quite painful, you may want to take some extra measures to reduce it. Ice packs and hot compresses can help.
You also want to keep the implant area as clean as possible, which means killing bacteria as best you can. Bacteria do not only cause infections, but they trigger inflammation around the surgical area.
Clean the implant site with a toothbrush. You want to do this gently starting the day after the operation. Use your antibacterial rinse at this time as well and spit gently when you are finished with it. In between cleaning and using the mouthwash, rinse with a warm saltwater solution. You can use saltwater numerous times a day. Salt will kill bacteria and it will also pull fluid away from the swollen gums to reduce your discomfort.
Share12 February 2018
