Dentalnews (en)

Dentists often forget to tell patients what to do after getting dental work!
So here are some advices after dental treatment.

What should you watch out for?
What rules are there to follow?

The suggestions below are general information. If your pharmacist gives you other instructions, then you should follow them!

The Dental News team wishes you a speedy recovery, these tips will help you smile again!

• Leave the swab in for another half hour after treatment, then you can spit it out, unless your dentist has given you other instructions
• Keep the area which has been operated cool, e.g. using a Cool Pack (ice), not directly on the skin, but wrapped in e.g. a towel
• Do not eat as long as the area is still numb, and remember to chew on the other side
• Avoid nicotine and alcohol, as well as spicy, crumbly or raw foods, and milk products for the first three days after the operation
• Do not pull on your lip/cheek, no „peeking in front of the mirror“
• Do not start cleaning your teeth again until two days later (do not use a toothbrush around the wound, but use a cotton swab dipped in 3% H2O2).
• Use mouthwash containing chlorhexidine (e.g. Chlorhexamed) twice a day (not longer than 2 weeks) and several times a day using 3% H2O2 dissolved in water. Rinsing out your mouth using chamomile tea also helps speed up healing.
• Do not point the oral irrigator at the area treated!
• Bruises or swelling in the face (intensifying up to 4 days after treatment), as well as difficulty opening the mouth and a temperature of up to 38.5° C are common after treatment and are no cause for concern
• Avoid sunlight and physical exertion the first couple of days after treatment (no sauna, no sports, no hiking …)
• For operations in the upper jaw and opening of the maxillary cavity no blowing your nose for 8 weeks; do not hold your nose shut when sneezing

Questions and answers on the costs of dental implants and their durability

The Web provides a great deal of information about dental implants!
While much of this informations useful, a lot of it simply confuses non-experts!

We have provided answers to the most frequently asked question here, as well as links further below!

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Do implant-based teeth have to be cleaned?
Implanted teeth have to be cleaned even more thoroughly than your own teeth.

The area where the implants show through the gums has to be kept clear of inflammation, otherwise the implants may get inflamed and fall out.
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Can I even take dental implants?

Implantation has become a common procedure in dentistry. In spite of great advances in this field, some patients are worried about negative “”reactions”” to  titanium implants they have read or heard about. The literature on the subject does not mention any side effects when using titanium, even though some implants do fall out in the case of some patients.
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Why do implants fall out?

• Inadequate cooling when reaming the implant shaft into the jaw bone (dentist’s fault)
• Inserting an artificial root into an inflamed jaw bone (dentist’s fault)
• Prematurely loading the artificial root (dentist’s fault, patient’s fault)
• Poor after-treatment and nicotine abuse further exacerbate these negative factors (patient’s fault)

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What happens if an implant doesn’t heal properly?

If an implant does not heal properly and has to be removed at some point, it is a shame, but it does not occur frequently. There is no physical damage, as the gap in the bone can be closed by new bone. Renewed implantation is also possible, if desired.
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Can you fly with dental implants?

Many patients believe that they will no longer be able to go through metal detectors at airports because of titanium implants. First of all, having titanium in your body does not set off any alarm, but even if such devices should come to be used, an implant passport can help you get through.
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Are dental implants the solution to my dental problems?
Many patients think that a set of teeth which has been undergoing certain changes for decades (up to full dentures) can be completely replaced using implants, under general anaesthesia. When getting full treatment, think about the habits that got you there in the first place. You may need to change your dentist, if your old one failed to inform you of the implications, but you also need to change your own habits, or else you will also lose your implants!
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I would like a permanent denture, how many implants do I need?
If you have no teeth left in your jaw, then you will generally need 4 implants in the lower jaw and 6 implants in the upper jaw for a permanent denture.
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How long do dental implants hold?
Scientific studies performed over the last 25 years show implants to be highly effective. How long they hold cannot be specified exactly, but assuming that they heal properly, after 10 years over 90% of all implants still work.
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How much does an implant cost?

In Europe, a titanium implant itself costs between 500 and 1700 euros. But patients also want to know about the total costs (implant, abutment, crown). Prices vary greatly because of the different components used, so that the total denture may cost between 1400 and 3000 euros.
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You will find more information on this topic in a forum or in the first dental video lexicon.

Dental implants made of titanium, set into the jaw-bone they act as roots.

You keep hearing about the body rejecting implants – is this true? NO!

Did you know that you only need 4 implants in your lower jaw for a permanent denture? Studies are currently being conducted to see if 4 are also enough for the upper jaw, up until now it has been customary to use 6 implants for the upper jaw.

Porcelain implants are not recommended for wide-spread use.

Some months ago these products were introduced, but there have not been enough good quality clinical studies, and improvements need to be made to the implant surface.

Here you can find information on various implant manufacturers.

If you wish to see a video concerning implants and implantation, click here.
Also watch related videos!

How much do dental implants cost? Implantation? Operations involving wisdom teeth?

These are topics often searched on the web, another good question is: how much does it cost to transplant wisdom teeth?

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Specifically: Wisdom teeth need not always be removed, they can be transplanted instead. The picture shows a 6-tooth in the upper jaw which has received faulty root treatment (highlighted in red). Hidden under the mucuous membrane is the 8 (highlighted in blue).
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The badly treated tooth has been removed and the 8 put in place of the 6. 2 months after the operation, the root is still in the process of growing (the blue lines in the first x-ray). Two years after the transplantation, the root has finished growing (the blue lines in the second x-ray). The mucuous membranes in the mouth of the patient have finished healing, the former 8 (blue arrow) is now where the 6 used to be.

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Bridges or implants are not always necessary, it is often possible to use one’s own teeth. Ask your dentist!

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