After Implant Placement

An older woman with white hair and a beautiful implant smile, touching her cheek

Dental implant surgery is now a very common treatment option to replace missing teeth among adults. Implanted teeth are the best restorative option for your natural teeth.

To make sure your implant surgery is successful and your prosthetic lasts longer, Dr. Ardoin and Dr. Kennedy at Oral and Facial Surgery Center recommend proper oral hygiene and good dietary habits.

What to Expect After Implant Placement Surgery

Since implant placement is a surgical procedure, you will experience some pain and discomfort in the first few days after surgery. This can include:

•	Pain at the site of the surgery
•	Swelling and bruising of the gums and face
•	Minor bleeding

All of this can be managed by simple over-the-counter pain medication. You can also place a cold pack to the side of the face to alleviate the swelling. However, if you experience severe pain, swelling, and bleeding days after the operation, schedule an emergency appointment with us so that we can resolve the issue quickly.

You may also be required to eat soft, warm, or cold food after the surgery. Strictly avoid eating hard, or very sticky food as that can shift your implant from its place and result in pain.

Possible Risks After Implant Placement

Although dental implant surgeries are routine procedures and over 90 percent of them are successful, there may be some complications in rare cases. These include:

•	Implant Failure to Fuse to the Bone: This issue is usually discovered during the second stage of the implant surgery when we test your implant to see if it is secure enough for surgery and find it loose. Some factors that can result in implant failure is chewing on hard or sticky food, lack of healthy dense bone, or smoking. Chewing on hard and sticky food can dislodge the implant from its place while it is integrating to your jawbone. Lack of dense bone structure will also prevent osseointegration. Smoking can cause fibrous bone structure to form, which is not strong enough to support the implant.If an implant fails, we can fit another implant in its place either immediately or at a future date. In case of a low-density jawbone, an implant can be placed after the bone has been augmented.
•	Infection: Although the implant itself is resistant to decay, its surrounding gum tissue is not. Due to poor oral hygiene, bacteria can accumulate in the gum and lead to a periodontal disease called peri-implantitis. If not treated, this condition can result in the loss of the surrounding bone tissue. Eventually, the implant becomes loose and needs to be removed. This disease can be treated similarly to other periodontal diseases.
•	Breakage: An implant can be broken due to uneven or excess pressure. This can happen due to improper occlusion or bite. If your bite does not exert a balanced force, too much pressure on an implant can cause the crown to break or the implant to lose its integration with the bone. Cracked or broken implants need to be removed and replaced with new ones.

How to Take Care of Implants and Implant-Supported Dentures

The success of your implants and implant-supported dentures depend on their aftercare.

Implant Care

Implants need to be brushed with a soft-bristled toothbrush twice a day. Take care to brush carefully under and around the implanted tooth with non-abrasive toothpaste. Use a soft dental floss to clean away food debris between the teeth. Also, use an antibacterial mouth rinse to clean your mouth between meals.

Implant-Supported Denture Care

Unclip the removable overdentures from the implants and clean the underside with a soft denture brush. Rinse the component with water before putting it back into your mouth. It would help if you also soaked the overdentures in a glass of water so that they retain their shape.

If you wish to have dental implant surgery or have some concerns about the procedure, call us at 337-443-2533 for our Lafayette location or 337-381-3663 for our Opelousas location today.

Lafayette

Location
203A Energy Parkway
Lafayette, LA 70508

Hours
Monday-Thursday: 8am - 5pm
Friday: 8am - 12pm

Opelousas

Location
2351 Larkspur Lane
Opelousas, LA 70570

Hours
Monday-Thursday: 8am - 5pm
Friday: 8am - 12pm

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