Deciding to get implants is not an easy step for many people. The patient is lost, afraid of the possible consequences of the procedure. One of the frequent questions that our doctors are asked after the surgery is how to relieve swelling after tooth implantation?
In general, swelling of the gum after implantation is a normal physiological reaction to the surgical intervention, an experienced surgeon warns about it at the initial stage of treatment planning.
Why swelling occurs
If the gum swells after implant placement, you should not start to worry. Swelling is normal. In itself, it represents the influx of lymphatic fluid to the traumatized tissues. Accumulating in a certain area, lymph becomes the cause of visible swelling, swelling. This is necessary for cell regeneration, cell repair and is a natural defense of the body.
Facial swelling after tooth implantation
Swelling of the gum occurs after implantation, tooth extraction, sinus elevator. The result of any surgical intervention is trauma to the tissue. Consequently, a person has to wait for the swelling to go down and relieve his condition with the means recommended by the doctor.
How to understand when swelling is normal
It is normal for swelling to take several days to form:
- day one: gum swelling after implant placement;
- Day two: swollen cheek after implantation;
- daythree: the swelling remains without increasing effect.
As a rule, after 4-6 days, everything comes back to normal.
But if severe swelling after dental implant placement persists for more than 6 days and increases, the pain does not go away for a week, the swelling hardens, other symptoms appear – this may indicate complications. Therefore, in order to “catch” a possible problem in time, it is necessary to show up to the attending doctor on the 3rd-6th day for an examination.
How many days swelling lasts and how long it takes for it to go away
How long swelling lasts after tooth implantation depends on the individuality of the body, the amount of intervention, the qualification of the doctor and the quality of materials used by the implant dentist.
If a person has problems with blood clotting, he or she must inform the doctor. The disease can affect implant engraftment, cause prolonged and severe swelling after dental implant placement, and increase the rehabilitation time.
Swelling begins a few hours after surgery and lasts for 3-6 days.
If the implantation of the upper or lower teeth was normal, and the patient has no comorbidities, the swelling will persist for as many days as is considered the standard norm – 5-7.
Methods to reduce swelling after implantation
After returning home from the dentistry, you can immediately begin to deal with an important question – how to remove swelling after tooth implantation. To do this, you will need a cold compress (it is also important not to overcool) and fulfill the recommendations prescribed by the doctor.
ATTENTION! You can not make warm compresses. They will only increase blood flow, and increase swelling.
Methods how to reduce swelling after implantation:
- Applying cold (compresses) to the side of the face where the surgery was performed, without pressing or pressurizing the surface of the skin. It is enough 5-10 minutes of exposure with an approach every 20-30 minutes;
- special care of the oral cavity with a soft toothbrush, do not resort to dental floss;
- herbal baths for the first 24 hours, then careful rinsing with chlorhexidine, antiseptics, herbal infusions or special means prescribed by the dentist;
- observe a gentle diet: exclude hot, cold, hard, sharp, sour, coffee, alcohol. Eat on the unoperated side of the jaw;
- sleep on a high pillow on the back, in no case not on the face and not on the side of the face where the operation was performed.
Following the above points will help to remove facial swelling after implantation faster than the standard norm.
Medications and folk remedies to help relieve swelling
To relieve postoperative symptoms, pain sensations when the anesthesia is over, as well as to relieve swelling of the gum after implantation, the following medications will help:
- chlorhexidine, miramistin, stomatofit and other antiseptics. At first, use them as mouth baths: dial a little liquid, keep in the mouth for a few minutes, spit. And then very carefully rinse the oral cavity after each meal;
- cholisal, metrogil-denta, solcoseryl, ointments of a similar type. By spreading them on the gums, you can slightly remove the swelling of the face after implantation. The components contained in the composition inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins that affect swelling. Ointments and gels act as an antiseptic, anesthetic, have an antimicrobial effect, stimulate rapid tissue regeneration;
- in cases where the cheek is swollen after implantation will also help antihistamines: Suprastin, Zodac, Phenistil, Zyrtec. They have anti-edema and anti-inflammatory properties;
- anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs (NSAIDs): nimesil, nimesulide, analgin, – pain relievers, reduce inflammation and nullify it;
- antibiotics: amoxiclav, flemoclav to prevent infection (as prescribed by a doctor).
Before relieving swelling after tooth implantation by means of medications, consult your doctor and carefully read contraindications!
Often patients use folk remedies when the gum is swollen after implant placement. Many of them are also advised by doctors. These include: chamomile, oak bark, elecampane, sage; infusion of medicinal plants are used as mouth baths and rinses. They have anti-inflammatory properties, astringent effect. Folk remedies to eliminate swelling after implantation are available and no less effective.
What complications can be, how to minimize them
Implantation of an implant is a surgical operation, the introduction of a foreign body into the human body. However, modern implantation takes place with minimal complications and predictable course of treatment and rehabilitation.
The patient is immediately informed about what can happen after implant placement:
- an increase in body temperature for a few days;
- swelling of the gum, cheek after implantation;
- painful sensations;
- swelling of the cheek;
- weakness.
In order to minimize unpleasant sensations, complications, it is necessary to strictly follow all the recommendations of the specialist, be sure to visit him according to the schedule of postoperative visits. Tracking the dynamics of treatment, the process of osseointegration can timely adjust the therapy or make sure that everything goes according to plan.
The earlier you start to eliminate swelling after dental implantation, the fewer complications there will be. And the sooner the patient will return to normal life.
When it is necessary to urgently contact a doctor
Unfortunately, there are situations when something has gone wrong. There are many reasons for this: the patient’s health, the doctor’s qualifications, the quality of the implants, etc. The doctor should be contacted immediately.
You should contact a doctor immediately if you notice the following symptoms:
- severe swelling after dental implant placement does not go away after 7-10 days or even increases;
- fever lasts for more than 5 days;
- the temperature has risen sharply after normalization of the condition;
- swelling of the jaw after implantation;
- the cheek is blue or red on the outside and inside;
- acute pain (or aching) does not go away for a week;
- discharge of pus when slight pressure is applied to the gum at the implant site;
- intermittent (or heavy) bleeding from the wound for 5-7 days;
- after reducing the swelling after implantation it reappeared after a while;
- numbness of the cheek, mouth does not go away in the first few days (the nerve may be damaged, especially for lower teeth implants).
Many of these factors can be manifestations of peri-implantitis. This is one of the most undesirable complications – inflammation of the bone tissue at the implant site. The disease can cause rejection of the artificial root. But it should be borne in mind that the implant is made of medical titanium, a biocompatible material, it is a high-tech construction. Therefore, successful osseointegration is recorded in 98% of cases. And to fall within 2% is a small probability.