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Dental implants are a highly revered tooth restoration method due to their ability to stay securely positioned in the mouth and prevent bone loss. However, some bleeding is typically expected during the healing process. Do you know how much bleeding is considered normal and how to encourage blood clotting? Read on in this blog from Fox Point Dental Studio to find out.
Yes, some mild to moderate bleeding at the implant site is normal for 48-72 hours. What isn’t normal is if the bleeding is excessive or lasts longer than 3 days. In that case, you should contact your dentist right away to make sure you don’t have inflammation or an infection.
Excessive bleeding can be a sign of mucositis, which is an inflammatory response in the soft tissue that causes mouth sores. Signs of mucositis include gums that are:
Another cause of excessive bleeding could be an infection from peri-implantitis. Peri-implantitis causes inflammation of the gums and bone loss. The symptoms are similar to mucositis except there is also painless destruction of the bone which can be detected on an x-ray.
Immediately after implant surgery, the dentist or oral surgeon will place gauze at the site of the implant to stop the bleeding. You will be instructed to bite down on them for 30 minutes. If the socket is still bleeding, replace it with fresh damp gauze.
You may need to continually change the gauze every 3-4 hours if bleeding continues. To encourage blood clotting, you can instead bite down on a wet caffeinated tea bag. These tea bags contain tannic acid which causes blood clotting by shrinking blood vessels.
Blood clots need to form at the implant site as this is an important part of the healing process as they protect the wound and prevent excessive bleeding. However, if a blood clot never forms or becomes dislodged, this can lead to a painful condition called dry socket. The gums may become painful and swollen and it will take the implant site longer to heal.
You will need to avoid certain activities that can dislodge blood clots, such as:
This depends on how complex your implant procedure was, your oral health and habits, and how many implants you received. To encourage fast healing, you should avoid smoking for at least 72 hours, keep your mouth clean by rinsing with a warm saltwater solution for the first 24 hours, and eat soft foods for the first week.
After the first day, you can brush your teeth gently and floss but should be careful around the implant site. Swelling will peak around day 2 or 3 and can be mitigated by applying a cold compress to the area, taking ibuprofen, and elevating your head when you lay down.
The gums and implant site will heal within a few days to 2 weeks. However, it will still take 3-6 months for osseointegration to occur, which is when the implant becomes fused with the jaw bone.
Are you wondering if dental implants are right for you? This depends on a few factors, like if you have adequate oral health, overall health, and jaw bone density. This can only be determined after an oral exam and x-rays are taken. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Major or Dr. Zellmer, contact us at Fox Point Dental Studio today.