Recovering After All-on-4 Implant Surgery

Thanks to All-on-4 dental implants (also known as full-mouth dental implants), you can replace all of your missing teeth at once. But of course, like with any implant procedure, there is a recovery period after the initial surgery. Fortunately, by taking the right steps, you can make sure that the healing process is as comfortable and straightforward as possible. Read on to learn more about what you can expect during All-on-4 recovery.

Taking Care of Your Mouth During All-on-4 Recovery

Your mouth will be numbed for your All-on-4 surgery, but once the localized anesthetic wears off, you’ll probably notice some discomfort. You can manage it with over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen, and you can also hold an ice pack over the area for 20 minutes at a time if there’s any swelling.

Blood clots will form to protect the surgical sites; they can cause quite a bit of pain if they become dislodged, so you should take steps to protect them while your mouth is recovering. That means no drinking through straws and no touching the areas in question. It’s okay to brush, but you need to be very gentle when cleaning around your implants.

What to Eat During All-on-4 Recovery

As with any dental implant procedure, you should plan on following a diet of soft foods and liquids until your mouth is ready to handle heartier meals again. Good examples of foods you can enjoy during this period are smoothies, yogurt, ice cream, pudding, applesauce, and mashed potatoes. Once you feel up to it, you can gradually move up to foods that require a little more chewing, like macaroni and cheese, soft bread, or pasta.

The exact amount of time you need to stick to a soft food diet will vary from patient to patient. If you’re not sure whether you’re ready to start eating other kinds of foods again, reach out to your dentist to see what they have to say. The main thing to keep in mind is that you want to avoid putting too much pressure on your implant posts until they’ve finished joining with your jaw.

How Long Does All-on-4 Recovery Usually Take?

Usually, you’ll be able to return to work just two to three days after All-on-4 surgery. That said, it will still take about six months for your implants to complete the osseointegration process and form a lasting bond with your jawbone. During this time, you should take any prescribed antibiotics and use mouthwash to protect your mouth from infection until healing is complete.

Remember that if you have any questions about All-on-4 recovery, or if you notice any concerning symptoms such as pain that doesn’t go away over time, you can always call your dentist. They can help you take whatever steps are necessary to make it through the healing process so that you can enjoy your new implant dentures to the fullest.

About the Author

Dr. Jason Kaopua has over two full decades of experience in the dental field. He has completed advanced training in a wide variety of specialty topics, which includes dental implant placement. At Albright Family Dental, he offers the All-on-4 procedure, which can be used to replace an entire arch of teeth with just four dental implant posts. To schedule a consultation, visit his website or call (425) 267-3333.