Preparing Yourself For Dental Implant Surgery

Helping your Wickford implant dentist deliver successful treatments

dental implant next to natural toothThere are many good reasons for having a dental implant placed, many of which we have discussed previously. One particularly good reason though is their very high success rate and the truth is that providing the procedure is carried out by a trained professional, the few cases of implant failure are typically due to neglect during the immediate healing period following treatment.

It is very important to ensure appropriate care after your procedure but it is also worth noting that there are things that you can do before your treatment that will not only help the success of the treatment, but make your life immediately following your treatment, easier too.

The likelihood is that if you have not had this treatment before, you will have a lot of questions to ask about it. Please address these to the dentist at the Cygnet Dental Practice who will be performing the treatment and they will be happy to discuss any questions and concerns that you might have.

So, what can you do before your implant placement to make things as successful as they possibly can be? Here are a few suggestions that will help.

Get an oral health check

This is one of the most important things to do before your treatment and one which we will carry out as a matter of course. There is little or no point in placing a dental implant into an unhealthy mouth as it may well fail if we did so. Although the implant is not a natural material and therefore won’t decay, it does rely on healthy gums and bone structure to retain it securely. Problems like gingivitis and periodontitis are a major threat to dental implants as is peri-implantitis which can occur post treatment if oral care is poor. It is important then that any instances of gum disease should be successfully treated before you have your implant placed. This is likely to include a scale and polish that will be carried out by the hygienist and we also encourage you to improve your home oral care, such as flossing if you don’t already do so.

Stop smoking and moderate drinking

Smoking and drinking can only have a negative effect on your oral health, and as far as dental implants go, a very serious one. Both habits can cause a dry mouth and an increase in potentially harmful bacteria that can lead to gum disease. They are also likely to cause the tiny blood vessels in the gum to narrow and limit the blood flow to the area. This lowers the effectiveness in fighting any infections that might follow your treatment and can slow down healing. You will also need to stop smoking and drinking for a period of time afterwards too. Ideally, you should quit smoking for good and maintain only moderate alcohol intake.

Take some exercise

There is no need to mimic recent Olympic success, but increasing your exercise levels will be beneficial as it increases blood flow, helping to fight infections (the exact opposite of sitting in a chair with a beer and cigarette in hand!) You don’t need to overdo it. Simply taking more walks, taking stairs instead of elevators etc will be beneficial.

Plan some ‘downtime’

The reality is that you might feel a little soreness and possibly some swelling after the treatment. We advise that you take some time off work to allow yourself to rest and recuperate. How long you are able to do this for will depend on your situation but we recommend at least 24-48 hours to allow the initial healing to start. Don’t use this downtime to do DIY or catch up with housework but find something relaxing to do such as read a book or watch your favourite box set. Perhaps use the time before the treatment to plan for a pleasurable relaxing time for a few days afterwards.

Prepare recipes

One reality of teeth implant placement is that you will need to change your diet for a period of around three months whilst osseointegration, where bone and implant fuse, takes place. Initially this will need to be a liquid diet before moving on to softer foods. You could stick to things like yoghurt and mashed potato, but why not scour those recipe books for more inspiration and even make and freeze some meals to save time afterwards. Also allow some time to shop for the ingredients to make these meals.

Although dental implant placement is a complex procedure and requires some short, initial changes in lifestyle by the patient, it is an excellent way of replacing any missing teeth with a strong and stable alternative. Implant wearers find that within no time, they find that they are treating their new replacement tooth as a natural one. If any of our Wickford or Rayleigh patients would like more information about this treatment, please arrange to have an initial consultation at the Cygnet Dental Practice by calling us on 01268 733078. Your implant journey to a confident new smile is just around the corner!