How To Recover From Dental Implant Surgery During The Holiday Period

Christmas is a time for having fun and indulging in tasty, delicious food and treats. However, if you've just undergone dental implant surgery, you must be careful about what you eat and take things slower than normal. Here's a quick guide ...

The festive season is just around the corner. That means lots of parties, shopping and indulging in large quantities of food. But if you´ve got dental implant surgery scheduled for the next few weeks, how can you enjoy the holidays with your friends and loved ones while prioritizing healing at the same time?

Here are a few helpful tips to ensure you get the recovery you need from implant surgery while also having fun.

Avoid Physical Activities

You may typically be the first on the dance floor or love wandering through the malls and high streets on a Christmas shopping expedition. However, this year you´re going to have to take it easy. Now is not the time to be doing any strenuous activities.

You can still attend office parties and family dinners but take everything at a sedate pace. Instead of jiving to a medley of Christmas hits, cheer everyone on from the sidelines. You won´t be on your own. Plenty of people are happy to give the dance floor a wide berth.

Regarding shopping, pull up a comfy chair or sink into the sofa and do it online. There are zero queues and no having to trundle through the streets carrying a heavy load.

Discuss Travel Plans With Your Dentist/Dental Surgeon

Discuss your plans with your dentist if you´re leaving town for the holidays. Depending on the extent of your procedure, you may have to wait a few days before getting on an airplane. The reason is that air pressure within the cabin can increase your discomfort levels. If you cannot shift your travel dates, see if you can get hold of an ice pack to reduce swelling. Also, take any prescribed medications to make you more comfortable.

If you´re going to be traveling by car, make sure you’ve had lots of rest beforehand, especially if you were sedated. If you´re taking medication that may make you feel drowsy, ask someone else to get behind the wheel or take a travel buddy with you.

Follow Your Post-Surgical Guidelines

With life moving at a fast pace during the holidays, it can be easy to forget things. Therefore, set alarms on your phone or other portable devices to remind you to follow your post-dental implant surgery instructions. Sticking to the guidelines set by your dentist will make your recovery easier and more comfortable.

Eat the Right Foods

Chestnuts may well be roasting on an open fire, but be careful not to bite down on them. Instead, think of soft foods such as eggs, yogurt, soup and mashed potatoes. Eating food with hard textures that are difficult to chew can cause a lot of discomfort and may slow down the healing process. Therefore, stick to soft foods during the first two weeks following your surgery. Also, avoid spicy foods such as hot peppers and acidic producelike tomatoes and citrus fruits.

Maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet after surgery is crucial to allow the implant sites time to heal. Therefore, it is a good idea to resist many of the sweet treats and other delicious temptations during the holidays. You don´t have to deny yourself everything; just reduce the number of cakes, candies and cookies you might usually tuck into during festive occasions.

Avoid Alcohol

During the festive season, wine and beer are flowing more than usual. While you may be tempted to have a tipple or three, doctors and dentists recommend avoiding alcohol for at least a few days after your surgery. The reason is it can interfere with any medications you´re taking as well as your body´s ability to heal and fight infections. But you don’t have to endure a dry holiday season. Once a few days have elapsed, you can drink in moderation.

Avoid Smoking

Avoid smoking for as long as possible after dental surgery. At the very least keep away from tobacco for 24 hours. Or better still, try and quit smoking altogether. Ask your dental surgeon for advice if you need help with smoking cessation.

Take It Easy

The holidays are a time for relaxation so embrace long, lazy days. Put your feet up and watch seasonal movies, dive into a good book and kick back and listen to a selection of your favorite festive holiday hits.

Drink Plenty of Water

Staying hydrated is important at any time but especially after surgery. Drinking water can speed up the healing process by carrying nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and it also flushes food particles away from implant sites.

Stay Positive

The dental implant surgery recovery period doesn´t have to turn you into The Grinch during the holiday season. You can still enjoy fantastic and memorable times with friends and family, which incidentally will probably help the healing process. Just watch what you eat and drink, make smart travel decisions and take things at a slower pace.

Ultimately, bear in mind that it takes time to heal. If you feel any aches or throbbing or notice an increase in swelling or bleeding, you might have to take things more slowly.

Schedule Your Dental Implant Surgery With Chesterfield Dentistry

The end of the year is approaching, so if you´re considering dental implant surgery

before 2023, contact Chesterfield Dentistry today. We´re happy to answer any questions

you may have about implants and recovery during the holiday period.