To improve the success of your dental implant surgery, there are a few guidelines you can follow during your recovery process. Diet is one of the most important factors to consider to ensure your implants heal properly.
Initially, you should not eat or drink hot foods for 24 hours after surgery as the heat could open the wound and cause an increase in bleeding. Avoid foods that may cause trauma to the gums or disrupt the implant, including the following:
- Hard foods such as candies, pretzels, nuts, and crunchy vegetables
- Chewy foods that require more than a couple of rounds of chewing such as rolls, gummies, hard fruit, and gum
- Foods that could stick in teeth or leave particles behind such as popcorn, seeds, and chips
- Foods or drinks that contain citric acid, such as oranges or grapefruit
Carbonated beverages
A soft diet is recommended for approximately two weeks after implant surgery to allow the gum tissue to heal. It is especially important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, although you should strictly avoid the use of a straw for at least 48 hours post-surgery. Suggestions of ideal food and drinks after implant surgery would be:
- Cooked cereals such as cream of wheat or oatmeal
- Yogurt
- Scrambled eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Broth, bouillon, or soups
- Ground beef, baked or broiled fish, or baked or stewed chicken
- Macaroni and cheese
- Baked or mashed potatoes
- Soft bread
- Puddings, milkshakes or ice cream
- Water, milk, coffee or tea
Patients who maintain a healthy diet of soft foods feel better and heal faster after dental implant surgery. Following these guidelines will help to ensure the quickest and most successful recovery from your implant surgery.
Contact our Fernandina Beach dental office today to learn more about dental implants options.
When you don’t have a full smile, your self-esteem and oral health decline. Implant restorations offer a solid solution for patients who have lost teeth. Designed to look and feel like your natural teeth, dental implants will rejuvenate an incomplete smile. Dental implants allow you to eat the foods you love, speak clearly, and laugh with confidence.
Constructed from biocompatible titanium, a dental implant is a small metal post surgically inserted into your jaw bone. The implant creates an artificial tooth root. Eventually, a permanent crown is placed on the post, restoring the function and appearance of your smile.
Although you can replace missing teeth with dentures or crown and bridgework, dental implants offer several advantages, including:
• Durability
• Longevity
• Natural Appearance
• Stability
Before suggesting dental implants, your dentist will evaluate your mouth and oral health to make sure you are a good candidate for implants. If you don’t have sufficient bone structure to support the implants, your dentist may suggest a bone graft. In most cases, dental implants have a 95 to 98 percent success rate.
With implant therapy, an oral surgeon or prosthodontist will position one metal post in each empty socket. Implants can replace one or more missing teeth. Once your mouth heals and bone fuses with the biocompatible post, your dentist will attach a lifelike prosthetic crown. Care for the implants as you would your natural teeth, brushing twice daily, flossing frequently, and visiting the dentist for routine checkups.
Dental implants dentist in Fernandina Beach
Are you getting a smile makeover? Do you have one or more missing teeth? Your cosmetic dentist will definitely want to replace those teeth during your smile makeover in order to prevent future problems. Issues may result from your teeth shifting to fill the empty spaces that can affect the overall shape of your face. One of the best and most desirable options for tooth replacement is dental implants.
Dental implants are the top-of-the-line choice for tooth replacement. They are the most like natural teeth in both form and in function. No one will know by looking at you that your tooth is an implant, and you might not even be able to tell it yourself when you’re eating! A dental implant is so secure, it can feel just like your natural tooth.
There are two main parts to a dental implant: the screw base and the tooth restoration. The screw-like base is typically made of titanium. This gives it incredible strength and longevity. The implant is placed directly into the bones of the jaw where it begins to function as a natural tooth root. Over time, oseointegration will occur and the implant will fuse with the bone. The tooth portion of the implant is created in a lab where dental artists are careful to replicate the surface texture and translucency of your natural teeth.
Dental implants can also be used to anchor dentures. Because they’re so strong, they give the dentures a stability that adhesives and suction can’t ever provide. Denture-wearers will never have to deal with embarrassing slipping or clacking again when dental implants are utilized with their dentures.
Consult your cosmetic dentist to see what role dental implants can play in your smile makeover. Begin enjoying your new smile as soon as possible.
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Dental implants are the best restorative choice for replacing a tooth that is missing. Whether the tooth has come out due to some kind of facial trauma or an infection or other issue, dental implants are the solution. The real difference in quality between a dental implant and other restorations such as bridges lies in the fact that the dental implant is placed directly into the patient’s jawbone, eventually fusing there through a process known as ossification.
Over time, ossification provides the kind of tooth base that is only seen elsewhere in natural teeth. When a dental implant is successful, it is as secure and as natural looking as a patient’s own original teeth; however, in some cases, dental implants fail. Sometimes they fail repeatedly. What’s causing these dental implant failures? Here are some potential causes.
Sometimes the implant doesn’t fuse with the bone and the bone shrinks away from the implant, leading to implant mobility or even the implant falling out. Patients who have weak bones due to age, osteoporosis, years of being edentulous (toothless) or another medical condition will find dental implants more challenging. If you’ve been having issues with failure to ossify, your dentist might recommend a bone graft to rebuild the jawbone to a healthy level so that dental implants can properly fuse.
In other cases, persistent infection may result in repeated implant failure. Signs of infection are continuous bleeding, swelling at the implant site or acute inflammation of the gum tissue at the implant site. Pus may be evident, or a bubble might appear on the gumline. Some health issues such as diabetes, auto-immune disorders or treatments like cancer therapies can weaken the immune system and leave the implant site vulnerable to infection. Your dentist might prescribe antibiotics or recommend you see an endodontist for a root canal treatment.
If you’re concerned about your dental implant, talk to Fernandina Beach dentist Dr. Kitson right away. Find out what steps you need to take to ensure that your dental implants are successful.
Schedule your appointment at our Fernandina Beach dental office
Missing teeth can put a damper on your active lifestyle. You may feel self-conscious about your appearance, experience limitations in diet, or have difficulty speaking. Without a full set of teeth, you risk gum degeneration, bone loss, and other oral health problems. Designed to mimic the look and feel of natural teeth, dental implants can rejuvenate your smile.
What is a dental implant?
A small titanium post that serves as an artificial tooth root, a dental implant is surgically positioned into your gums. Your dentist will place a permanent crown on each implant, which completes the replacement tooth. Implants can be used for one or more missing teeth.
Am I a candidate for dental implants?
In general, anyone with a missing tooth should consider dental implants. The key to successful implant placement is good oral health and sufficient bone structure to support the posts. If you don’t have adequate bone levels, your dentist may recommend a bone graft to correct that situation.
How long does the procedure take?
Receiving dental implants is a two-step process. During the first visit, a trained specialist will surgically implant the posts into your jawbone. Then, you will need to wait three to six months for healing and integration with the jawbone. Once this occurs, your dentist will place the permanent crowns on the implants, giving you a full smile.
How do I care for my implants?
Just like your natural teeth, your implants require daily care. Brush often and floss frequently. Regular dental checkups are also important, so schedule visits at least twice a year.
Schedule your appointment at our Fernandina Beach dental office.
