Bleeding After Dental Implants: What’s Normal? And What Isn’t?

Modern dental implants from Cornerstone Dentistry are minimally-invasive, especially compared to other dental surgeries like tooth extractions. But they still involve opening up your gum and jaw tissue. And that means you’ll definitely have some bleeding after your procedure as your mouth heals.

But what’s normal and should be expected? And what may be a sign of an implant complication? In this blog, we’ll explain what you should expect after you get a dental implant in Covington from Dr. Keleigh Lascari.
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Your Mouth Will Bleed 0-24 Hours After Your Surgery

Immediately after your surgery, your implant site will be bleeding. Dr. Lascari will place a gauze pack in your mouth, which you’ll bite down on. This helps the blood clot form in your mouth. You may need to switch out your gauze pack about every hour until blood flow slows down and stops.

Make sure to follow Dr. Lascari’s instructions after your surgery. Avoid straws, eat liquid foods, and avoid rinsing the area until the blood clot is fully formed. This will help minimize bleeding. 
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Slight Bleeding Or Pink Saliva Is Common 24-48 Hours After Your Surgery

Usually, any major bleeding will stop after about 24-48 hours. During this time, you may notice a little bit of blood around the implant site, or your saliva may be a little bit pink. This is normal, and nothing to be concerned about.
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Bleeding Should Stop After About 3 Days After Your Surgery

After it’s been about 3 days, your mouth should no longer be bleeding, and you should also be experiencing much less pain and discomfort. If you’re still bleeding heavily, you should contact Dr. Lascari for a follow-up at Cornerstone Dentistry to make sure your mouth is healing properly.
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How Do I Minimize Bleeding After My Surgery? Our Top Tips

Dr. Lascari will give you a full set of instructions to follow after your surgery. You’ll want to follow these to the letter. Here are a few of the things you’ll be asked to do in order to minimize the risk of bleeding and oral infections:

• Don’t rinse the mouth for 24 hours – You should avoid rinsing your mouth for 24 hours until the blood clot has formed. After this, rinse your mouth gently with salt water. Avoid using a straw or spitting forcefully. This could dislodge the blood clot.
  
  
• Don’t brush the implant site for a few days – Don’t brush the implant site for about 3-4 days. You can brush your other teeth, but you shouldn’t brush the site itself until it’s had some time to heal. If it’s no longer tender, you can brush it with a soft bristled toothbrush.
  
  
• Avoid heavy exercise – Exercise increases blood flow, and can lead to discomfort in your implant site, as well as bleeding. After your surgery, plan to take a few days off from heavy workouts, and take things easy for a bit.
  

• Avoid smoking – You should avoid smoking for at least 2 months after a dental implant. Smoking and oral tobacco use dramatically increase your risk of complications like infections, and can interfere with proper healing.
  
  
• Eat a diet of soft and liquid foods – Eating hard, crunchy, or tough foods could irritate your implant site and cause bleeding. You should eat mostly soft or liquid foods for up to a week after your treatment.
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Interested In Dental Implants In Covington? Schedule An Appointment Today!

At Cornerstone Dentistry, we’re always here to help you get the restorative dental care you need in Covington. If you’re missing one or more teeth and you’re interested in dental implants, Dr. Keleigh Lascari is here to help. Contact us online or give us a call at (985) 869-8020 to learn more about implants, and see if they're right for you.