However, the procedure requires a rather lengthy healing time, often as much as 12 weeks depending upon how many implants are placed. There are things you can do to boost healing, and speed up the process.
Limit Your Activity
Rest is important to healing. Avoid strenuous activity, lifting heavy objects or getting your heart rate too high. These actions can not only cause pain, but they can increase swelling as well as your risk for further bleeding, as the clots can come dislodged. Instead, rest. As you start to feel better, you can gradually increase your activity level but, if at any point, you notice more pain or any bleeding, stop.
Avoid Smoking
If you are a smoker, it is important that you quit, if not for good, at least for the duration of your healing. Smoking can greatly decrease your healing time and increase your chances of developing dry socket, a condition in which the clot dislodges and leaves your gums and bone exposed, raising your risk of infection. You should also avoid alcohol, as it can contribute to dry mouth, which can increase the number of bacteria in your mouth.
Diet
It is recommended that you eat soft foods while you heal, even limiting yourself to liquids during the first few days. But not only is the texture important, so, too, is the nutritional content.
Nutritious foods feed your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to repair itself. Vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, mashed carrots or winter squash, and fruits blended together in a smoothing can make for a filling and vitamin rich meal.
Make sure you get plenty of calcium - milk, yogurt, dark green leafy vegetables. Protein - animal or plant (lentils, quinoa, tofu) - can help your body to better repair itself as well.
So long as you follow your post-operative instructions and eating a nutritious diet can ensure that you heal properly and quickly. If you have any questions, or notice any signs of infection or other problems, do not hesitate to contact our office.
