Have you decided to get a dental implant to permanently fix a missing tooth? If you, you may be looking forward to having a replacement tooth that looks and feels like a real tooth. Unfortunately, the implant process doesn't stop when you leave the dentist's office since there are some key things to know about recovering from the surgery:

The Length of Recovery

There are many factors that play into how long it will take to recover from dental implant surgery. This includes how many implants you received and the strength of the jawbone the implant was placed in. In fact, it can take several months for the implant to fully recover and feel completely natural. However, most of the recovery process will take place over the first few days after the procedure. What you do can end up prolonging or shortening your overall recovery time.

How To Speed Up Recovery

Here are some ways to speed up recovery from dental implant surgery:

Practice Good Oral Hygiene

The dental implant may be a fake tooth, but it is more important than ever that you practice good oral hygiene to keep your gums and jawbone protected. Bacteria runs the risk of slowing down your recovery process, and has the potential to cause an infection in your gums.

All you need to do is floss and brush regularly to remove harmful bacteria that can become stuck around the implant surgical site. Your dentist may suggest that you use a mouthwash as well, and even subscribe one that is prescription strength in some situations.

Avoid Pressure

You should avoid any activities that can put excessive pressure on dental implants and cause damage while they're healing. For example, you will need to break any habits you have of chewing on ice cubes. You should be eating foods that are moderately soft as well. The risk of putting too much pressure on a dental implant is that the actual implant can become dislodged while in the healing phase.

Stop Smoking

Do you have a smoking habit that you have been meaning to stop? Now may be the best time to do it after getting a dental implant. Smoking can cause an implant to be more likely to fail, and at the very least, will slow down the recovery process. If you can't break the habit, ask your dentist for a recommended amount of time to wait before you consider smoking again.