4 Ways To Prepare For Your New Dental Implant
Posted on: 8 March 2017
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Dental implant surgery greatly improves the appearance and health of your mouth by replacing a missing, decayed, or broken tooth with a strong and natural-looking artificial tooth. Because having a dental implant added to your mouth does involve oral surgery, it's a good idea to take a few steps to prepare for your surgery and recovery. Here are four great ways to do so:
Plan a Ride Home
Your dental implant surgery will require anesthesia and possibly sedation, making it unsafe to drive afterward. It's a great idea to arrange ahead of time for a ride to and from your oral surgery appointment with a reliable friend or family member. This way you won't find yourself in the position of trying to find a safe ride home while still under the influence of anesthesia or sedatives. In some cases, your oral surgeon may even require that you sign a form before surgery declaring that you will not drive yourself home.
Schedule Time Off
Recovery time varies depending on your specific surgery, including whether or not you require a bone grafting procedure, if you are only having one dental implant or multiple implants placed, and whether or not you are combining dental implant surgery with other oral surgery procedures, such as wisdom teeth removal.
Ask your oral surgeon ahead of time how long your immediate recovery should last and if you should plan to take time off from work in addition to the day you will need off for the actual surgery. Request your time off from work as early as possible, and ask your oral surgery office for a signed note on letterhead if required by your HR department in order to get the time off approved.
Pick Up Your Prescriptions
Your oral surgeon will most likely write you prescriptions for both pain medication and antibiotics. The best thing to do is ask for these prescriptions ahead of time so you can go to the pharmacy a day or so before your surgery. This way, when the anesthesia begins to wear off you will already have your medication on hand and will not have to experience unnecessary pain.
Stock Up on Soft Foods
Your surgeon will give you eating and drinking instructions for the days following your surgery, which you will need to follow to avoid any complications with your implant. In most cases, it's a good idea to stick to soft foods and avoid anything crunchy or extreme temperatures for the first few days. Stocking up on soft foods such as mashed potatoes, yogurt, Jello, and macaroni and cheese will ensure that you have appropriate food on hand without needing to go to the store while recovering.
By being proactive and preparing ahead of time for your dental implant surgery, you will have a much more pleasant experience and avoid some common problems. To learn more, contact a company like Cazes Family Dentistry LLC.