Thank you for trusting The Grove Dental with your recent procedure. For optimal recovery and healing and to ensure your dental implant surgery has a favourable outcome, please follow the below post-operative care instructions carefully.

1. For the first 48 hours after implant placement, do not vigorously rinse your mouth or consume excessively hot foods and drinks as this may stimulate bleeding. Do not use drinking straws. Do not disturb the implant site with your tongue or fingers.

2. Swelling is a normal occurrence after surgery and usually peaks 2-3 days following surgery. To minimise swelling, apply ice packs on the cheek around the area of surgery. Apply intermittently (15 minutes on then 10 minutes off) for 24 to 48 hours. Sleep with your head propped up on two pillows to avoid swelling.

3. Bleeding – It is normal for there to be a little bleeding in the first 24 hours. This will often make your saliva look a bit red. Do not spit out the blood as this increases the bleeding. To minimise bleeding, bite onto some gauze for at least 20 minutes (apply firm pressure for the whole duration and refrain from taking the gauze out to check). Relax and avoid moving around excessively. Consider sleeping on old linen in case of bleeding.

4. Diet – You can commence eating on the day of surgery, but you must avoid anything hot. You can begin with soft solid foods and plenty of fluids. Scrambled eggs, fish, mashed vegetables, yogurt is a good example. A soft diet is recommended until your mouth feels comfortable. Eating regularly is very important to avoid nausea caused by the medications. A nutrient rich diet will help you to feel better, have more strength, less discomfort and heal faster.

5. Take your medication as prescribed. It will be helpful to take your pain medication before the numbness from the local anaesthetic wears off.

6. Good oral hygiene is essential to good healing. Do not rinse your mouth on the evening of surgery. You should rinse your mouth carefully 3 times a day for at least one week starting from the day after your surgery. You may use Savacol or Curasept mouthrinses. These are available from your local pharmacy.

7. Clean your teeth 3 times a day from the day after your surgery with a soft, toothbrush. It is important to keep your mouth very clean to prevent infection. Avoid brushing the stitched area for 1 week.

8. Smoking is to be avoided as this will contribute to implant failure.

9. Depending on the procedure, sutures (stitches) may be placed to help wound healing. These will dissolve or fall out on their own after approximately 7 – 14 days. Avoid brushing around sutures.

10. Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. Resting for at least five days after surgery is advisable to help keep swelling and bleeding to a minimum. Routine exercise can usually commence seven days after surgery.

If you have any uncontrolled bleeding or pain, please contact us on (02) 8817 2879. Our team is here to help.