Dental implant aftercare: recovery, healing and what to expect

Most people feel back to normal within a few days of implant surgery. The gum heals over about two weeks, and the bone typically bonds to the implant over a few months. At Toothi in Edgware everyone gets a written aftercare sheet, and all reviews are included in the £1,995 single implant fee. This page is general guidance. Your written aftercare sheet comes first.

There are two kinds of healing. The gum around the implant usually settles within one to two weeks. The bone takes longer to bond with the implant, typically around three to six months, and then the final crown goes on.

Times vary from person to person, and with grafting or a sinus lift. See how long implant treatment takes, and if you had a lift, our sinus lift guide for the extra precautions.

The first two days are about letting the area settle and protecting the blood clot. Keep it gentle.

• ✓  Rest and skip strenuous exercise for the first day or two.
• ✓  Use a cold pack on the cheek, on and off, to help with swelling on the first day.
• ✓  Bite on gauze if it’s oozing. A little pink saliva is normal.
• ✓  Don’t rinse hard or spit on the first day.
• ✓  Avoid smoking, vaping and alcohol, as they slow healing. See dental implants, smoking and diabetes.
• ✓  Take painkillers as advised on your aftercare sheet.
• ✓  Sleep with your head a little raised the first night.

Soft, lukewarm food for the first few days, chewing on the other side. You can usually work back to a normal diet over a week or so. Keep very hard or crunchy food off the implant until the crown is fitted.

• ✓  Good choices: yoghurt, soup (not too hot), eggs, mashed potato, pasta, fish, porridge.
• ✓  Avoid early on: nuts, crusty bread, crisps, seeds, very hot or spicy food, and drinking through a straw.

Wondering about milk and yoghurt? Ask us at your appointment and we’ll go through what to eat in the first few days.

Keeping the area clean does more for healing than anything else. Brush the rest of your mouth as normal from the first evening, and go gently near the implant.

• ✓  From the day after surgery, rinse gently after meals with warm salt water or the mouthwash on your aftercare sheet.
• ✓  Use a soft toothbrush near the area and leave any stitches alone.
• ✓  Once it’s healed, clean around the implant crown every day with interdental brushes. We’ll show you how.
• ✓  Keep your reviews. Longer term, regular checks help prevent peri-implantitis.

Some soreness and swelling for a few days is normal, and ordinary painkillers usually handle it. Pain that’s getting worse rather than better after day three, or new pain weeks later, isn’t typical and should be checked. For what the procedure itself feels like, read do dental implants hurt?

Get in touch promptly if you have:

• ✓  Bleeding that doesn’t slow with firm pressure on gauze.
• ✓  Swelling or pain that’s increasing after the third day.
• ✓  A fever, pus or a bad taste that won’t go.
• ✓  Numbness that hasn’t worn off by the next day.
• ✓  A healing cap or implant that feels loose.

If swelling is severe and affecting your breathing or swallowing, call 999 or go to A&E.

All reviews during treatment are included in the £1,995 single implant fee. Once the crown is on, a routine implant exam is £95 and implant hygiene is £150. These keep the gum and bone around the implant healthy.

See our fees page for the full list, the dental implant procedure for what happens on the day, or our dental implants page in Edgware to book a free consultation.