After Bone Grafting and Dental Implants

Many patients will experience discomfort after their procedure due to pain, nausea, swelling, and difficulty eating. In general, most difficult times occur during the first 24 to 72 hours after the operation. The following information is provided to facilitate recovery after the operation and must be followed in detail.

Bleeding

You are biting on gauze to put pressure on the surgical site to help control bleeding. You should bite on the gauze for approximately 30 minutes.. The gauze can be replaced with new gauze or a tea bag if bleeding persists. The wound may ooze or bleed very slightly for one or two days after surgery, this is normal. Excess saliva and a small amount of blood appear to be a lot of blood. If there is excessive bleeding, you should contact us so that we can evaluate the problem.

Nausea/Vomiting

The most common cause of post-operative nausea and vomiting is taking pain medicine on an empty stomach. If you take pain medicine you must have at least a full glass of liquid in your stomach. If you are still vomiting more than 24 hours after the operation and have not been able to keep fluids down, you should contact our office.

Eating

Don’t eat on the surgical site for the first week. It is important to use caution when eating as not to disrupt the sutures. Chewing on surgical sites before healing can cause trauma to the bone graft and implant that may lead to failure.

Oral Hygiene

You may gently start brushing your teeth on the day of surgery. A soft toothbrush is necessary for the surgical site until completely healed. You may GENTLY rinse with warm salt water or mouthwash. The purpose of this is to keep the wounds as clean as possible and decrease the risk of infection. In some cases, we may prescribe an antibacterial mouth rinse (Peridex).

Smoking

Smoking can be detrimental to the success of your surgical procedure. The failure rate of implants and bone grafts is considerably higher among smokers. While we recommend complete cessation of smoking for your dental health, In the first few days following your surgery, your body produces blood clots that prevent food and bacteria from getting into the site. It’s especially crucial not to smoke within these 72 hours.

Swelling

The area operated on may swell and the peak of swelling is 72 hours. Icing 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off, as well as sleeping with your head elevated can help reduce swelling.

Pain

We commonly will use a long acting anesthetic that should keep your mouth numb (and pain free) for 2 to 6 hours after the operation. When this local anesthesia wears off you should expect to have some pain or discomfort. Prescription pain medication may be provided, and your doctor recommends taking it as indicated on the bottle, as needed for pain during healing. Some pain medications may cause drowsiness. Therefore do not drive or operate heavy machinery while on these medications. You may be able to control your pain with over-the-counter pain medications such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, or Excedrin. Remember do not take medications on an empty stomach.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are usually given post-operatively to prevent an infection. Please finish the entire prescription as directed by your provider. Notify our office with any adverse reactions such as rash, itching or diarrhea.

Sutures

The sutures placed will often need to be removed by your provider at your follow up appointment 10 to 14 days after surgery. It is important to try to avoid disrupting the sutures with your tongue.

Other Conditions That May Occur

1.  Small bone fragments that sometimes appear will slowly work their way out of the gum tissue as the tissues heal. These may feel like pieces of tooth but are actually bone.

2. Numbness of the lower lip, chin and/or tongue will sometimes occur after surgery. This usually disappears in a few days to a few months. Consult the doctor if this persists.

Please do not hesitate to call us about any problems, questions, or concerns that you may have.

Office phone: Pekin#Pekin Office Phone Number (309) 353-4111 Peoria#Peoria Office Phone Number (309) 683-3223. After hours telephone: Dr. Merheb #309-868-2525