Dental implants in Denver from Poulos, Somers & Marshall are a great way to permanently restore your teeth. But you may not be sure what to expect after your surgery. Will you be in pain? Will your mouth bleed? How long will it take to heal from dental implants?

Below, we’ve put together a quick overview of the dental implant recovery timeline. Read on, and get answers to how to know if your dental implant is healing correctly and other related questions. ‍

Healing Immediately After Surgery‍

Immediately after your surgery, your implant site may be bleeding. You may experience bleeding and pink-tinged saliva for up to 24 hours after your treatment. 

You can eat right away, but you should only eat very soft foods, and you should not eat on the side of your mouth with the implant, if possible. This will ensure you do not disturb the implant as it heals. 

To ensure your dental implants heal correctly, you also should not brush the implant site, though you should brush the rest of your teeth. You can use a prescription oral rinse or salt water to gently rinse the implant site.‍

2-3 Days After Surgery‍

After 2-3 days, symptoms like pain, swelling, and bruising near the implant site should peak and begin to fade. You should continue to avoid exercise during this time, and maintain a diet of soft foods.

Follow the instructions provided by your dentist to deal with pain and discomfort. You can ice the cheek near the implant area, and take over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or naproxen to help with inflammation and pain. ‍

1 Week After Surgery‍

About a week after surgery, your implant site will have healed quite a bit. It’s now safe to start brushing near the implant site, though you should still avoid putting much pressure on the area.  A little bit of pain and tenderness may still be present. 

You can also start eating more solid foods. However, you should still avoid very crunchy or tough foods, which could cause pain, discomfort, and damage to your implant site in some cases. 

If your dentist used dissolvable stitches during your procedure, they will usually begin to dissolve around this time. If not, you will need to come back to Poulos, Somers & Marshall to have your suture removed so your dental implants can continue to heal correctly. ‍

2 Weeks After Surgery ‍

After about 2 weeks, your implant site should feel almost completely normal. The gum near the implant may be a little bit tender, but you shouldn’t be feeling any significant pain. You should be able to eat and brush completely normally. 

However, this doesn’t mean the implant has healed completely. After this initial healing stage, the underlying implant still needs to bond with your jaw bone. This is called “osseointegration” and will take up to 3-6 months. ‍

Interested In Dental Implants? Contact Poulos, Somers & Marshall For A Consultation Today! ‍

With proper post-surgical care, you can recover from your dental implants quickly, and enjoy a permanent solution for your missing teeth. Interested in dental implants in Capitol Hill, The Golden Triangle, or Downtown Denver? Poulos, Somers & Marshall is here to help. Our doctors are experts in implant dentistry. Contact us online or call us at (303) 832-4867 to schedule an appointment today.