Bleeding After Dental Implants – What’s Normal & What To Expect

Whether you’ve already scheduled your dental implant surgery at the Mandeville Center for Dental Excellence, or you’re curious to learn more about the procedure before you consider implants, you may be wondering what you can expect when you recover.

For example, will your mouth bleed? What kind of bleeding is normal? What can you do to reduce bleeding? In this blog, we’ll answer all of these questions and help you understand what’s normal after your dental implant surgery in Mandeville.

Follow Dr. Schof’s Instructions To Control Postoperative Bleeding

First and foremost, make sure to follow Dr. Schof’s instructions immediately after your procedure to control bleeding. He will place a moistened gauze pack on the surgical site after treatment. You need to bite down on this pack for 30-60 minutes.

Dr. Schof will also give you a few extra gauze packs. If the first pack becomes soaked with blood, remove it and switch to a new one. Once the pack is in place, leave it be. Don’t mess with it or move it around. Continue to bite down firmly on the gauze pack. This pressure will help with blood clot formation, and reduce bleeding.

Blood Or Pink-Tinged Saliva May Occur Up To 24 Hours After Surgery

If you follow Dr. Schof’s instructions and use your gauze packs properly, your mouth should stop bleeding a few hours after your appointment. However, you may notice a small amount of blood in your mouth or pink, reddish saliva, even after the surgical site has clotted.

This is normal. A small amount of bleeding is nothing to worry about. After about 24 hours, you should no longer be bleeding and your saliva should be clear and free of any pink or red color.

Recovery Tips To Reduce Bleeding

There are a few steps you can take to reduce bleeding and make sure your mouth clots properly.

• Avoid hot foods and drinks for at least 24 hours – Hot foods and drinks may cause bleeding, and will likely cause pain and discomfort near the implant site as well, so you should eat mostly lukewarm or cool foods.
• ‍Eat a liquid or very soft food diet – Avoid eating crunchy or tough foods, particularly foods that may become lodged near the implant site, as these could cause bleeding and discomfort. Eat foods like yogurt, mashed potatoes, and other soft or liquid foods for a few days after your appointment.
• ‍Don’t brush or touch the implant site – You shouldn’t brush or touch the implant site for at least 2-3 days. Until then, use a salt water rinse to clean the surgical area.
• ‍Do not rinse or spit vigorously – Rinsing or spitting too vigorously could cause bleeding. If you rinse your mouth, do not spit forcefully. Let the salt water rinse drip out of your mouth instead.

Interested In Dental Implants In Mandeville? Contact Us For An Appointment!

Dental implants are the best long-term method of tooth replacement, and Dr. Schof is always here to help patients in Mandeville restore their teeth and their self-confidence. To learn more and see if dental implants are right for you, just call us at (985) 626-4401 or contact us online to schedule an appointment.