Whether you have one missing tooth or several missing teeth or teeth that need to be removed, your dentist may recommend that you get dental implants. A lot of patients prefer dental implants to other oral prostheses because they are more permanent. But what are dental implants? To start out, your dentist will remove your tooth and then surgically implant a metal rod into your gums. After the gum has had proper time to heal (over the course of several months) and as long as it has healed properly, your dentist will move onto the next step. The next and final step is to place a dental crown over the top of the rod. Essentially, the rod acts as your tooth's root and the crown acts as the actual tooth. To make sure that the metal rod takes and that you can move forward with the crown, this article will go over a few ways for you to recover. Ready to learn more? 

1. Watch What You Eat

For the first few days following your dental implant surgery, you should make sure that you watch what you eat. Because your gums will be a little bit tender, you will probably want to avoid hard to chew foods anyways, but make sure you listen to yourself. Foods that are typically recommended are soft foods like shredded chicken, mashed potatoes, smoothies, and acai bowls. 

2. Take NSAIDs

It's normal for your gums and mouth to be a little bit swollen after surgery. To help you ease any pain and inflammation, try taking an over the counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil or Motrin. The great thing about these over the counter medications is that they not only work but they aren't habit-forming. 

3. Ice It

For the first day or so after your surgery, you may want to ice your cheek. When icing, though, make sure that you use a soft gel ice pack since it will be gentler on your face and will conform to your jaw as well. 

Recovering from dental implant surgery shouldn't be too extensive but you will probably want to take the surgery day off of work. Additionally, make sure that you schedule a ride home because you may be a little bit drowsy from medication. To learn more about dental implants or how to recover, contact a dental office near you today and schedule an appointment with them.