Small amounts of blood in the saliva can make your saliva appear quite red. This is normal and may be noticed the rest of the day after the procedure.

Smoking should be stopped following surgery. Healing and success of the implant will be substantially reduced by the cigarette smoke chemicals in your body.

Some discomfort is normal after surgery. To minimize pain take Ibuprofen or Advil 600mg (equal to 3 tabs of over-the-counter Ibuprofen or Advil) every 3 to 4 hours if necessary. Do not exceed 3200mg (12tabs) in a 24 hour period. Take it before the anesthesia wears off. Taking with food or milk will help reduce an upset stomach. Avoid driving or operating heavy machinery when taking pain prescriptions. Do not drink alcohol while taking prescription pain medications.

Nausea is most often cause by taking pain medications on an empty stomach. Reduce nausea by preceding each pain pill with soft food, and taking the pill with a large glass of water.

Applying an ice bag to the face over the operated area will minimize swelling. Apply for 15 minutes, and then remove for 15 minutes. Continue this for the first day.

The local anesthetic will cause you to be numb for several hours after you leave the office. Be very careful not to bite, chew, pinch, or scratch the numb area. Sometimes, the implant procedure causes residual numbness or tingling for 6 weeks or longer.

Do not brush your teeth for the first 8 hours after surgery. After this, you may brush your teeth gently, but avoid the area of surgery for 3 days.

Avoid all rinsing or swishing for 24 hours after your procedure. After 24 hours, you may begin gentle rinsing with peridex if it was prescribed for you. If so, please follow as instructed.

Eat soft food for the first two days. Maintain a good, balanced diet. Return to normal regular meals as soon as you are able after the first two days. Drink plenty of water.

Avoid alcohol for 48 hours.

After leaving the office, rest and avoid strenuous activities for the remainder of the day. Keeping blood pressure lower will reduce bleeding and aid healing.

If you were given an antibiotic prescription, take all of them as directed until they are gone.

If your sinus was involved in the procedure, you should avoid blowing your nose or playing a wind musical instrument for one week. Use of decongestant medications might be recommended.

You may need to return to the office within the first 14 days to have suture removed, or just for a brief follow-up healing check. You may need preparation for the final restoration.

Please contact us if you have :

• Uncontrollable pain
• Excessive or severe bleeding
• Marked fever
• Excessive warm swelling occurring a few days after the procedure
• Reactions to medications, especially rash, itching, or breathing problems.

Following these instructions very closely will greatly help your comfort, and promote uneventful healing of the area. If any of the instructions are not followed, you might have significantly more discomfort, and the success of the procedure may be affected.