How Soon Can You Return to Work After Dental Implant Surgery?
As you might know, dental implants in Estero quickly restore your smile. In fact, dentists can often place them in as little as two visits! That said, you do need time to recover from the implant surgery. Your new teeth might not fuse well with your jaw otherwise. As for how long you should stay home from work, your local dentist has the details. Here’s a summary of factors that affect implant healing time and some tips for a smoother recovery.
What Factors Affect Healing Time?
While you might feel fine after implant surgery, your body will need to adjust before your implant is fully integrated. You should thus take at least two days off from your regular work routine. However, various factors can influence whether your healing time runs shorter or longer. The most common ones are:
Number of Implants
Of course, patients receiving only one or two implants will have an easier recovery. They’ll also have the shortest timetable for returning to work.
Those receiving three or more implants, though, may face extra challenges. If you’re one of them, you may want to give yourself an extra day or two for post-surgery effects to subside.
Bone Grafting
Sometimes, patients don’t have enough bone in their jaws to support implants. In those cases, a dentist may need to perform bone grafting — a method of using tissue from a different body part to augment the implant site.
So long as the bone graft is minor, it won’t cause major changes to your timetable. A more complex one, however, has the potential to add more recovery time.
Pre-Existing Health Issues
As it turns out, certain medical conditions extend the recovery from surgery. Chronic issues like hormonal imbalance, a weak immune system, or diabetes can greatly delay healing. If you face any of these problems, you’d be wise to allow several days or even a week after the procedure to recover.
Surgery Recovery Tips
Following your dentist’s post-op instructions is the best way to recover from surgery. Doing so carefully will minimize the amount of time you need to heal. In all likelihood, this guidance will include the following rules:
- Keep your mouth clean to avoid infections.
- Eat a soft food diet, without alcohol, to stave off complications.
- Take prescribed or over-the-counter pain medication as needed.
As you can see, dental implants in Estero take some adjustment. Still, you can look forward to their benefits after you’ve recovered with the tips above!
About the Practice
Smile Rejuvenations is based in Estero, FL. As led by Drs. Breanne Dufault, our practice strives for the quality dental care you deserve. To that end, we offer excellent cosmetic and sedation dentistry, dental implants, and dentures. Our office is also a certified provider of Invisalign clear aligners that straighten teeth. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (239)-300-2767.