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How to prepare for an implant surgery

Introduction

If a person thinks about having a dental implant treatment of his missing teeth he is definitely in the right place to learn about the most important things about pre and post-operative care. Dental implants are a greater solution to dentures and bridges. They are long-lasting and a lifetime dental alternative that every person would simply love it. So, if a person recently lost a tooth he may consider dental implants as a viable alternative. It is good to know that with the insertion of dental implants the person can bring back its smile and restore his natural look. Keep in mind that dental implants are a permanent option but to last longer, they require a special maintenance to take care of right after the implant surgery procedure. Only in this way, the patient will enjoy his new and healthy smile and he may avoid possible infection.

But, if the person wants to be sure if he is the right candidate for this procedure, he has to schedule an appointment with a dental professional. Before the visit, read about do’s and don’ts which are related to the procedure of getting dental implants.

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What should the patient do before the implant surgery treatment?

All dental professional suggest some control examinations before the start of the implant surgery. These tests are done for assuring the success of the implant treatment. Another great benefit why it is good to make these analyses is the minimal risk during the insertion of the implants and also for obtaining the safer procedure.

Blood examination:

This is one of the most significant tests. This is explained with the fact that if the patient has some systematic disease such as diabetes or hypertension, they may affect the implant procedure. They appear as a risk factor for the final outcome of the treatment. Any systematic disease may interfere with the insertion of the dental implant and in case of an infection; they would be a treatment of priority.

Mouth inspection:

Biting and occlusion together with the gums and alveolar bone condition are examined in order to be sure where to place the implant and which size would be ideal. It is good to know if tooth decays, gum diseases, and biting anomalies are diagnosed, they should be all treated before the start of the implant surgery. Another important thing to remember is that there are serious bacteria such as a. actinomycetemcomitans, b. forsythus, p. ginigivalis, p. intermedia, c. rectus, treponema sp, which are gram-negative, anaerobic. They are responsible for the manifestation of gum disease and they could also break the bone which surrounds the tooth. Consider the fact that if the gum disease is not treated before the implant placement, the bone that should support the implant may become infected too. This situation if occurred could lead to the loss of the implant as well as a natural tooth. When a biting behavior is noticed, more exactly, if the patient clenches his teeth or has bruxism, it is more than important to correct this parafunction because later during the implant therapy, it may cause additional problems.

X-ray evaluation:

In order to obtain a great and successful implant therapy, the dental professional should look for sufficient bone mass and thickness. If the dental provider decides that there is not enough bone that will support and surround the new implant, he may give other suggestion for strengthening the procedure. He may propose applying artificial bone or performing a PRP procedure, or a combination of both treatments for increasing the stability of the implant and speed up the fusion process. In such a case, some grafting procedure and bone augmentation may be required before the start of the implant placement.

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CT evaluation:

This is one of the most précis diagnostic images which are very helpful when it comes to planning an implant surgery treatment. The computer tomography provides cross-sectional images which give the exact information on the bone height. With this image, the dental worker is able to see the exact position of the dental implant.

Tell his dental implant practitioner about some medications he takes at the moment and if they are not convenient for the upcoming procedure. This is especially important because some of the medication can contain an anti-coagulant which may cause serious problems.

The patient may take an antibiotic if he is instructed by his dental practitioner. This is a possible option if the patient has infected root canals.

The patient should talk about his fears and if he faces other physical conditions which may interfere with the implant procedure.

Another thing that should be seriously considered is that the patient who undergoes an implant surgery should stop smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. These actions have a negative impact on the fusion between the bone and the implant. For all patients who can’t quit drinking and smoking immediately, a gradual decrease in the dosage of drinking and smoking is recommended. One more thing is that the implant candidate should be in a health condition. Any cold or high fever may reschedule the implant procedure. Keep in mind that a slightly ill can make a negative effect on implant procedure, and because of the mentioned situations, the patient’s health must be under control.

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Let’s see what the patient shouldn’t do before the implant surgery

All patients should know that if their implant intervention is planned to be under sedation, they shouldn’t eat and drink from six hours before the time of surgery.

Another important thing is that if the dental professional recommends an antibiotic prophylaxis, do not forget to take the medication around one hour before the surgery. In case the patient is sedated, he may take the pill six hours before the intervention. Patients who are allergic to penicillin, it is obligatory to mention that to their dental practitioner.

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Let’s see what a person could do after the implant surgery.

At first, one should rest a lot. The first priority for all after surgery persons is to get relaxed. They should allow their body to rest because it is the key to avoid any complications and at the same time it will fasten the recovery process. For the patients who consider going to the gym, it is extremely important to postpone this activity, because it may cause bleeding or throbbing during the exercising time. They should also be aware that lifting weights, bending or other dynamic actions can increase the pain, bleeding, and the swelling. The most important is to follow the instructions given by the dental professional. This means that the patient should keep his head propped with two pillows. This is good for producing better blood flow to the head and it will reduce the swelling of the face and mouth.

After the dental implant procedure, the proper nutrition is required. All patients should stay hydrated, drink a lot of nutritional liquids and water. The patients have to consider the fact that they can’t eat solid foods a few days right after the surgical procedure. Patients should be advised to prepare their kitchen with soft and nourishing foods for their recovery days. They could buy or make soups, yogurt, or mash potatoes. The soft food can be consumed when the bleeding stops. All this will give the needed energy to the patient and he will hill faster.

The patients with implant surgery intervention should keep ice packs on the treated area for reducing the swelling. The dental professional will recommend keeping the ice 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off. Another advice is to take the pain medication right after the implant procedure even in the case when the patient does not feel any kind of pain.

The most important “to do” thing for this patients is to maintain proper oral health care habits. For the first day, the patient should take warm salted water and rinse the mouth five to six times a day. This is great for minimizing the risk of infection. Teeth brushing is recommended but only allowed with gentle moves and taking special care around the implant area. Patients should not disturb the treated part with the fingers or the tongue while rinsing. They can dislodge the blood clot which has been formed and cause bleeding. The patients should know that it is good to use a mouthwash that contains chlorhexidine and they should also use water flosser or waterpick. Only on this way, the patient will prevent the peri-implantitis condition, an inflammation which would have a negative impact over the dental implant. If peri-implantits is diagnosed, the following gram-negative anaerobes bacteria could be found: Prevotella intermedia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, A. actinomycetemcomitans, B.forsythus, Treponema denticola, Prevotella nigrescens, Peptostreptococcus micros, and Fusobacterium nucleatum. It is possible these bacteria be attached to the surface of the implant, but, when treated properly the implant will stay as long as possible.

Exercise:

Over-exerting right after a dental implant surgery intervention may cause additional problems such as prolonged bleeding and fatigue. The patient will remove the blood clots from the targeted area and may cause a “dry socket”. This complication is more common when a tooth is removed but it may occur also in the implant procedure. Patients should keep in mind that their body would be exhausted and won’t be ready for training and other sports activities.

Smoking and drinking alcohol:

All patients who had an implant surgery intervention should know that smoking will only make their healing process last longer than usual. It is very important to quit smoking in this period of time. Keep in mind that nicotine found in blood vessels may cause their constriction and with this, the blood flow is reduced. This may cause negative effects over the immune system. Another thing to remember is that because of the smoke the body does not have enough oxygen to heal faster and properly. Drinking any kind of alcohol can interfere with the healing process too.

Another useful tip is that the patient shouldn’t use a straw to drink liquids. The suction can cause problems with the proper healing. The patients also should avoid hot drinks and also hot foods. They may cause burns in the oral cavity. Hot drinks could also cause swelling and if there is already one, it may last longer. In the first days, they may experience difficulties in the mastication process, but, this would be solved with time.

It is good to know that the person who follows a dental implant treatment should avoid eating spicy, hard, or hot foods because this way, he may irritate his gums.

Final recommendations

Every patient who had an implant surgery should try to follow the instructions from his dental professional. The patient has to take every prescribed medication precisely regarding the proper dosage of the medication. This is especially addressed if the dentist prescribed a narcotic pain medication.
Sometimes, it seems that all patients do have a rush to go back to their previous routines. But, they have to keep in mind that every implant procedure takes a little time to heal. The best thing a patient could do for themselves is to relax and try to keep their teeth as healthy as possible.

But, if the patient experience fever, nausea, or unalleviated swelling or pain, he should call his dental practitioner immediately.The dentist may have other recommendations to help the patient after the implant surgery.

Dental implant surgery is not a hard intervention and with the new and advanced implant systems, all problems are avoided.

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