Dental implants can be a life-changing procedure if you are missing teeth. The replacement tooth that you'll have in the end will look and feel like a real tooth, but will actually be an artificial crown secured onto a titanium post that has been surgically implanted. The process of having those parts installed may be enough to scare you away from getting the procedure, especially when you look into what the recovery process is like. Here is what you need to know about recovery, and what can be done to make it better.

Swelling

The thought of facial swelling after getting dental implants may be scary, but it is completely normal. Facial swelling is your body's way of fighting the trauma that just happened during the surgery. White blood cells will rush to the area to try to heal it, which fills the area up with fluid and causes it to swell. That fluid also presses up against nerves, which end up causing pain. When the area is healed, the fluid goes away and puts less pressure on the nerves, causing pain to go away as well.

The best thing you can do to treat pain and swelling is to take a pain relieving medication. Ask your dentist about getting a strong prescription strength pain reliever, which will make that first week of recovery more bearable. You can also put ice packs on the area to help it feel better. Do not use heat, since it will draw blood cells to the swelling and cause it to become even more swollen.

It also helps to sit upright as much as possible, even when sleeping. Get used to sitting in a recliner, because it helps fluid flow away from your face which will relieve pressure.

Bleeding

There will also be bleeding in the surgical site, which is a normal side effect of getting dental implants. Be prepared to minimize your movement and to have plenty of gauze on hand to bite down on. You do not want to clench down hard on gauze, just apply enough pressure to hold the gauze in place.

You can also replace the gauze with a moistened tea bag. This helps the area heal because it releases tannin into the surgical site, which promotes blood clotting.

These are just a few tips to help you deal with recovery after getting dental implants. Speak to a dental implant services professional for more tips on what you should be doing.

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