When it comes to sleeping position following dental surgery, it is a good idea to make sure to elevate the head. A good angle to achieve while sleeping is 45 degrees. You should sleep in the position for the first 36 to 48 hours following the surgery.
Elevate Head for the First 7 Days: Keep head elevated on a recliner or couch while sleeping for the first 7 days to minimize swelling. Do not lay flat on a bed for the first 7 days, as increased facial swelling will occur.
You'll have to stay away from exercise and strenuous activities for the first few days after your dental implant surgery. Your OMSH surgeon will provide specific details on how long your body needs rest as this is your time to heal. Don't eat any hot foods or drink any hot beverages until the numbness has gone away.
When you lie down, the body increases blood flow to your head. If you have a cavity, cracked tooth, or other dental emergency, increased blood flow to the head means more swelling and inflammation. Of course, inflammation and swelling are the body's way of fighting infection.
Side effects that are normal and expected include swelling around the gums and in your face, slight bruising, pain at the implant site, and minor bleeding. It's usually recommended to avoid hard foods during healing, and your oral surgeon may prescribe pain medication or antibiotics after surgery to help you heal.
You May Experience Pain & Other Symptoms For Up To 7 Days
After about 3-7 days, you will likely still feel some pain and tenderness around the implant site. However, it should start to get less painful. You can usually return to work or school within 1-3 days after your surgery.
Feeling pain is normal after getting implants, and it will come in throbbing waves or short, sharp pangs. That said, you shouldn't have any trouble eating and moving your mouth. Check with your dentist after five days to prevent getting any infections.
Implant placement surgical procedure is less unpleasant than tooth extraction, with less postsurgical pain and limitation of daily activities.
The Three Dental Implant Surgery Phases
The surgery takes places in three stages: Placement of the implant. Attaching the abutment. Fitting the crown.
Your oral surgeon will use plenty of anesthetic and possibly sedation to keep you as comfortable as possible. These can take some time to wear off in some cases, which can cause you to feel tired for the rest of the day.
Typically, you could experience some pain and discomfort up to 10 days after the surgery. Hopefully, your dentist will prescribe you pain medications to help. There will also be swelling, and that should subside after about 3-5 days.
Pain After Dental Implant Surgery
If you can take ibuprofen (Motrin® or Advil®), take 400–600 mg every 6–8 hours or as prescribed by your doctor. Ibuprofen will help with pain relief and as an anti-inflammatory. If you cannot take ibuprofen, then 1–2 tablets of regular Tylenol® should be taken every 4 hours.
From the moment that you return home from your surgery, it is essential that you keep your mouth as clean as possible as often as you can. Brush and floss any teeth that were not involved in the implant surgery as normal, starting the evening that you return home.
Swelling after dental implant surgery typically subsides within two to three days. Your doctor will provide detailed post-operative instructions, including ways to minimize this side effect. Tips include keeping your head elevated, reducing activity, and taking anti-inflammatory medications.
When sneezing during the first two weeks, sneeze with the mouth open to avoid applying pressure to the sinuses. Please take all medications and nasal sprays as prescribed.
Avoid lifting anything heavy or undertaking strenuous exercise or activities with your arm for a few days. After 5 days soak wound skin closures / dressing off gently in a shower or bath.
If sutures are used at the implant and or extraction site they will dissolve. They will come out on their own in 3-10 days. Light to moderate exercise the day following surgery will help reduce swelling and help you feel well. Get up, move around, take a shower, and participate in normal activities as much as possible.
Time Needed to Fuse With the Bone
Naturally, this isn't the work of a few weeks. On average, it takes six to eight months for an implant to settle down, but it can take even longer, especially if you needed a bone graft.
The pain that patients feel when they get dental implant surgery is actually not from the hole made in the bone or the placement of the implant — the pain usually comes from the soft tissue manipulation that occurs during the process.
Patients who are having bone grafts or other supplemental procedures done may experience a bit more discomfort than the average simple implant patient, and some surgical techniques lead to more discomfort than others.
Patients who are having supplemental procedures such as bone grafts and sinus lifts may also experience slightly more discomfort than say a patient who is undergoing a simple dental implant.