Full Mouth Dental Implants Recovery Time
Full mouth dental implants are a great way for patients to restore missing teeth with a stable and natural-looking dental prosthesis. As well as restoring teeth, full mouth dental implants restore comfort and confidence for the patient. Patients who are overall healthy and can endure implant placement. Patients also need to understand the extensive healing time necessary to ensure the success of the implants.
What is the recovery time for full mouth dental implants?
To understand the extensive recovery time, it is important to understand exactly what happens to dental implants. Osseointegration is a term that refers to the fusion between the implant and your jawbone, which is the reason that implants are so stable. Your jawbone will regenerate and heal around the implant and become one with the surfaces of the implant itself.
Depending on the location of your implant, it could take up to six months for it to fully integrate with your bone before the restoration can be placed. During this healing time, you will have some restrictions on food and physical exertion. The longer you are able to rest immediately following your implant surgery, the easier your healing time will be. After a couple of weeks, you should be able to continue with your regular routines.
It is not uncommon for patients to have insufficient bone mass to support dental implants. Fortunately, a bone graft can be placed to strengthen the area, preparing it for the implant. A bone graft can take 3 to 6 months to heal, but sometimes, the implant can be placed at the same time as the bone graft.
How do I care for dental implants while healing?
Your implant doctor will provide a detailed list of postoperative directions to give your implant the best chance of success. For a few days immediately following implant placement surgery, you will need to adhere to a liquid diet. After those few days, you will be able to incorporate soft foods, such as mashed potatoes, pasta, and soft-cooked vegetables.
If you have a physically demanding job, consider scheduling your implant surgery close to a weekend so that you can have a few days to rest before continuing work. Physical exertion can slow healing and may cause implants to fail.
For pain management, most patients remain comfortable with over-the-counter pain medications. In the event that you are unable to tolerate your pain, your doctor may be able to prescribe a pain medication to help alleviate discomfort. You will definitely be given an antibiotic to prevent infection, which should be taken as directed and in full.
Full mouth dental implants do have a long recovery period, but the benefits outweigh the drawbacks for a lot of patients. Traditional dentures are generally more uncomfortable and less natural-looking than full mouth dental implants, so for patients who are otherwise healthy and can endure our implant surgery and the long recovery period, full mouth dental implants are an excellent choice.