Dental implants are one of the most celebrated methods of tooth replacement, capable of beautifully filling the gaps in your smile for a lifetime provided you take care of them well.
If you’ve decided to take the plunge and invest in dental implants, you may be a little bit curious about how to handle dental implant surgery. For example, how long are you going to have to take off of work? Here’s what you should know in this regard.
When Can I Go Back to Work After Dental Implant Surgery?
Dental implants surgery is fairly low-impact, meaning that the amount of time that you’ll spend on the mend is minimal. Most people will be able to return back to normal as soon as the day after the surgery, though in the interest of getting plenty of rest it’s usually a good idea to take a day or two off of work. After this point, any bleeding and swelling should be minimal and manageable.
The only exception is if your work involves hard labor. In the wake of dental implant surgery, it’s important to avoid vigorous exercise for four or five days, as this can potentially contribute to excessive bleeding around the surgical area. In this scenario, it’s often a good idea to take more time off of work in order to make sure that you’re in good condition after your surgery.
Other Ways to Speed Up Recovery
If you’re interested in getting back in the swing of things as quickly as possible, there are a few things you can do to make that easy. For one, you should take care not to put too much pressure on the dental implant while it’s still healing—make it a point to chew on the other side of your mouth and avoid tougher foods.
You should also take this time to get used to performing daily hygiene with dental implants. Gently brushing and flossing is critically important to staving off infection, which is the number one cause of dental implant failure.
Your dentist will be happy to help you keep your dental implant in good condition, so if you have any questions about aftercare, give them a call.
About the Author
Dr. Ryan Bygness has been practicing dentistry here in Denison for over 25 years, and there’s still nothing he loves more than being able to welcome new members of his community to his practice. Dr. Bygness received his dental degree from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and his orthodontic certificate from the American Orthodontic Society. He has also studied dental implants closely, allowing him to place these prosthetics entirely in-house.
If you have any questions about dental implant surgery, he can be reached at his website or by phone at (712) 263-3252.