Dental implants can last as long as our natural teeth if they are cared for correctly. To ensure you get the best results with your implants, it is important to follow the instructions given by your implant surgeon.

Right after your implant surgery

Once your implant has been placed and sutures done, you will be able to go home as soon as you feel ready. We recommend that you go home with somebody after the surgery if possible. The aesthetic will take a couple of hours to wear off, so please be careful not to bite your cheek, or lips, and try not to mess around with the surgery site with your tongue. As the anaesthesia wears off, you can manage the tenderness with normal non-aspirin over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol. Please make sure you take painkillers as advised on the packaging.

Bleeding & swelling

You are likely to experience some minor bleeding for the following few days. Some bleeding is perfectly normal, but if you experience excessive bleeding, please do not hesitate to get in contact with your surgeon for further advice.

Swelling in the first few days is normal and can be controlled with medication. After three days, the swelling should have gone down and the healing started. If any swelling persists or is causing you excessive pain, please get in contact with your surgeon.

Dos

*Soft diet for the next few weeks. Soup, smoothies, and other foods that require minimal mouth opening are preferable. Eating healthy and nutritious food is extremely important for good healing after an operation.

*Good oral hygiene is extremely important after surgery. Brushing should be done normally, but you should be very gentle and take extra care around the surgery site.

*After the first 24h hours, you should rinse your mouth with warm salt water four times a day to keep your mouth clean and healthy for optimal healing. Make sure the water is not too hot as you do not accidentally want to burn yourself. Add a teaspoon of salt into a cup of warm water, and gently wash your mouth with it.

*If you have been prescribed anything after your surgery, such as antibiotics, take the medicine as advised.

*Manage your pain with over the counter non-aspirin pain killers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol.

*Attend your scheduled follow-up appointments so your surgeon can keep an eye on your healing and make sure everything is going as planned

*If you have any worries or questions, you should contact your surgeon for advice as they can give you the most accurate information regarding your treatment.

DON’Ts

Avoid eating hot foods and drinks for the first 24h.

Avoid hard and chewy foods.

Avoid physical activities such as heavy lifting, running around, etc. We highly advise you to take a few days off work to let yourself rest.

Avoid touching your surgery site with your tongue or fingers.

Avoid alcoholic drinks for the next two weeks.

Avoid smoking, vaping, etc, for the next two weeks.

Avoid wearing dentures that cover the surgery site.

*Wear your aligners for at least 22 hours / day removing them only to eat, brush and floss, keeping them safe in your aligner case. Only drink still water when you have the aligners in.

*Avoid hard, sticky and staining food and drink if you can for the first 7 days

*Rinse with water between consuming food and drink

*Brush and floss after meals before putting your aligners back in

*Clean your aligners either with the cleaning crystals or a manual toothbrush and warm soapy water over a basin

*Switch to the next aligner in the series every week, before bed so it’s more comfortable, keeping the old aligner safe in its respective bag

*You may notice a slight lisp at the beginning, but this will only last a week or so

*You may notice some light aching of the teeth and occasional headaches as you move between aligners, both of which can be relieved by over-the-counter pain relief

*You may notice some bleeding after your “heavy flossing” which is normal and should settle after a few days as the gums heal

*It might feel strange to bite together when you haven’t got your aligners in, but this will settle as you move through the aligners

*Your teeth may feel like they are slightly wobbly when you haven’t got your aligners in, this is also normal, and the teeth will tighten up as you move through the aligners

*Make an appointment at your earliest convenience if one of your attachments comes off and stay in the same aligner until you have the attachment bonded on again

*Make an appointment at your earliest convenience if your aligner breaks and wear your previous aligner until you have a new aligner made

*If you lose any aligners, then there may be charges for new ones

*Ensure you attend your review appointments every 3 to 4 weeks

After you have had any number of teeth extracted, it is very important to look after the site correctly to prevent any complications during healing. If you experience excessive pain or bleeding, do not hesitate to contact your surgery for further advice, or call 111 if your surgery is currently closed.

Rinsing & spitting

DO NOT rinse your mouth or spit for 24h after the extraction. After 24h, you should start using warm salt rinses to keep the extraction site clean and healthy. Dissolve a teaspoon of normal table salt into a cup of warm water. Make sure that the water is not too hot as you do not want to accidentally burn yourself. DO NOT rinse vigorously. Gently rinse for 30 seconds, preferably 4 times a day.

Bleeding

When you leave the surgery, the socket will have stopped bleeding. If you disturb the wound with your tongue or by smoking, for example, it may start bleeding again. If this happens, take a clean handkerchief, roll it up into a thin sausage shape, dip it into warm salt water, squeeze it fairly dry, place it right on the socket, and bite down for 10 minutes. Sit down and relax as this will lower your heart rate and help the bleeding to stop quicker. If the bleeding persists, please get in contact with your dentist, or 111 if your surgery is closed.

Pain

After the aesthetic wears off, there should be no more than a dull ache present. This may last for 24h or so. Any pain or soreness can be relieved by taking suitable non-aspiring painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. DO NOT exceed the recommended dosage. If any severe pain worries you, do not hesitate to get in contact with your dentist, or call 111 if the surgery is closed.

Eating & drinking

Do not eat or drink while your face is still numb. (unless it is for medical reasons such as you being diabetic etc.) For the first 48h, you should eat a softer diet and avoid small foods such as rice and couscous that can get stuck in the socket. Avoid chewing on the side of the mouth where the extraction was done for at least 3 days. Please do not consume alcoholic drinks for the next 24h.

Smoking & vaping

Smoking and vaping are the largest contributors to developing a dry socket after an extraction. Avoid smoking & vaping as long as possible for the best healing outcome.

Brushing

Brush your teeth as normal, but be gentle and take extra care around the extraction site. You must keep your mouth as clean as possible for the extraction site to heal properly without complications.

Work & physical activities

If you work in a field that requires a lot of physical activities such as heavy lifting, running around, etc. Please take the day off to let yourself recover from the extraction. Children are advised to skip PE class and after-school sports for the next 24h to allow the extraction site to heal. If you are unsure if you can return to work after your extraction, please do not hesitate to ask your dentist.

Looking after your dentures

Dentures may feel a bit strange to begin with, but you'll soon get used to wearing them.

At first, you may need to wear your dentures all the time, including while sleeping. Your dentist may ask you to wear your denture at night time for the first few days so you get used to them quicker.

When you remove your dentures, they should be kept moist – for example, in water or a polythene bag with some dampened cotton wool in it, or in a suitable overnight denture-cleaning solution. This will stop the denture material drying out and changing shape

Dental Hygiene

If you remove your dentures, they should be kept moist – for example, in water or a polythene bag with some dampened cotton wool in it, or in a suitable overnight denture-cleaning solution.

This will stop the denture material drying out and changing shape.

Cleaning dentures

It's important to regularly remove plaque and food deposits from your dentures.

This is because unclean dentures can also lead to problems, such as bad breath, gum disease, tooth decay and oral thrush.

Clean your dentures as often as you would normal teeth (at least twice a day: every morning and night).

You should:

brush your dentures with toothpaste or soap and water before soaking them to remove food particles

soak them in a fizzy solution of denture-cleaning tablets to remove stains and bacteria (follow the manufacturer's instructions)

brush them again as you would your normal teeth (but don't scrub them too hard)

Dentures may break if you drop them, so you should clean them over a bowl or sink filled with water, or something soft like a folded towel.

Eating with dentures

When you first start wearing dentures, you should eat soft foods cut into small pieces and chew slowly, using both sides of your mouth.

Avoid chewing gum and any food that's sticky, hard or has sharp edges.

You can gradually start to eat other types of food until you're back to your old diet. Never use toothpicks.

Denture adhesive

If your dentures fit properly, you shouldn't necessarily need to use denture fixative (adhesive).

But if your jawbone has shrunk significantly, adhesive may be the only way to help retain your dentures.

Your dentist or clinical dental technician will advise you if this is the case.

At first, some people feel more confident with their dentures if they use adhesive. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and avoid using excessive amounts.

Adhesive can be removed from the denture by brushing with soap and water.

Remnants of adhesive left in the mouth may need to be removed with some damp kitchen roll or a clean damp flannel.

When to see your dentist

You should continue to see your dentist regularly if you have dentures (even if you have complete dentures) so they can check for any problems.

Your dentures should last several years if you take good care of them.

But your gums and jawbone will eventually shrink, which means the dentures may not fit as well as they used to and can become loose, or they may become worn.

See your dentist as soon as possible if:

your dentures click when you're talking

your dentures tend to slip, or you feel they no longer fit properly

your dentures feel uncomfortable

your dentures are visibly worn

you have signs of gum disease or tooth decay, such as bleeding gums or bad breath

If poorly fitting or worn dentures aren't replaced, they can cause great discomfort and lead to mouth sores, infections or problems eating and speaking.