Recovery from All-on-4 surgery typically involves several stages, and understanding what to expect can help you prepare and ensure a smoother healing process.
- Immediate Post-Operative Period (First Few Days):
- You may experience some swelling, bruising, and discomfort immediately after surgery. Your surgeon will provide pain medication to help manage any pain or discomfort.
- Stick to a soft diet and avoid hard, crunchy, or sticky foods that could irritate the surgical sites.
- Follow any specific post-operative care instructions provided by your surgeon.
- Initial Healing Phase (First Few Weeks):
- Swelling and bruising should gradually decrease over the first week or two.
- You may need to continue eating soft foods and avoiding hard or chewy foods until the surgical sites have healed sufficiently.
- It's important to maintain good oral hygiene by gently brushing your teeth and cleaning around the implant sites as directed by your surgeon.
- Osseointegration (Bone Integration) Phase (Several Months):
- Over the following months, the dental implants will gradually fuse with the surrounding jawbone in a process called osseointegration.
- During this phase, it's essential to avoid placing excessive pressure on the implants to allow for proper healing and integration.
- Final Prosthesis Placement (After Osseointegration):
- Once osseointegration is complete, your dentist will fabricate and attach the final prosthetic teeth to the implants.
- Your dentist will make any necessary adjustments to ensure optimal comfort, function, and aesthetics.
