Printable aftercare sheet
Dental Implant Aftercare — Day-by-Day Instructions
The first 48 hours protect the surgical site; the following weeks protect the healing bone. Follow this sheet and recovery is usually uneventful.
First 24 hours
- Bite gently on the gauze for the time we advised; replace it if soaking
- Do not spit, rinse or use straws — protect the forming clot
- Ice packs on the cheek: 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off
- Rest — no strenuous activity, no bending upside down
- Cool, soft foods only; nothing hot today
- Take prescribed antibiotics and pain medication exactly as directed
Days 2–3
- Begin gentle warm salt-water rinses after meals — let the water fall out, don't swish hard
- Swelling peaks around 48 hours, then improves — that's normal
- Soft foods continue: yogurt, khichdi, soups, scrambled eggs
- Brush your other teeth normally; avoid the implant site itself
- Sleep with your head slightly elevated
Days 4–7
- Discomfort should be clearly easing — most patients are back to routine
- Keep avoiding the implant site while brushing (about a week total)
- Rebuild towards normal foods gradually; keep hard and crunchy items away from the site
- No smoking — it significantly impairs implant healing
Weeks 2–12 (integration)
- Clean around the site gently as the gum settles — we'll show you how at review
- Attend every scheduled review; integration checks matter
- Report anything that feels loose or changes suddenly
Call us promptly if you notice
- Bleeding that doesn't slow with gauze pressure after a few hours
- Swelling or pain that worsens after day 3 instead of easing
- Fever, or pus from the site
- The healing cap or implant area feeling loose
FF-109, PNTC Building, Times of India Press Rd, Vejalpur (Prahladnagar), Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380051, India
These are general instructions — anything specific we told you at your appointment takes precedence. Medically reviewed by Dr. Vernica Agarwala.
Questions during recovery?
A quick message beats a worried night — we answer aftercare questions round the clock for surgical patients.
Or call us directly: +91 81411 96667