2 Things To Do To Help Heal A Dental Bone Graft
When you want dental implants, you may need more bone to secure them the way they need. If you don't, your dentist will suggest you get bone grafts. The grafts will give you more jawbone to secure the implant posts with. The graft can be donor bone or a material that will act as bone and provide your bone a scaffold to grow on. If you are going to get a bone graft, you need to know what to do after the procedure. You want to give your graft the best possible chance of success.
Ice Packs
You will want to have ice packs on hand to handle the swelling. The cold can also act as pain relief. You can use reusable cold packs from the store or frozen peas, as long as you don't plan on eating those peas. The peas can be a good choice since they may conform to your jaw better. Whatever you use, make sure there is a layer of cloth between your skin and the ice pack. Most people don't know it is possible to get frostbite from an ice pack if you hold it against your skin for too long, so use a cloth barrier. You also don't want to use it for a long time. After using it, let it refreeze for a while, and then do it again.
Take Your Pain Meds
If your dentist prescribes pain meds, you must take them on the prescribed schedule. The reason to do this is that you will stay ahead of the pain. If you take the meds on schedule, then the pain will be held at bay. If you wait until you really hurt and then take your pain medication, you will have to wait, in pain, for the medicine to kick in. Being in pain slows your healing; the longer you stay in pain, the longer your healing process will take. Take your pain meds as scheduled, and add any over-the-counter NSAIDs your dentist may recommend. Being in pain isn't going to do anything good for you, so don't try to stretch out your pain medications.
If you have to have dental bone grafts, make sure you do whatever your dentist tells you to do to heal well. It can be a painful procedure to get, and you don't want to have to go through it again if it doesn't take the first time around.
Speak to a dentist to learn more about dental bone grafting.