Why Choose All-on-4®
Guidelines for a Successful Recovery
In the days following your All-on-4 treatment, Dr. Stockdale advises that you:
- Avoid eating hard foods that can injure your implants or the gums surrounding them. For the first few days, we recommend choosing soft or pureed foods and clear liquids.
- Refrain from using a straw, spitting, or anything else that adds pressure to the implant site. Doing so can hinder the healing process.
- Rinse with salt water to keep the surgical site clean and reduce inflammation. You can do this multiple times a day, however, remember to let the water slide out the corner of your mouth to avoid spitting.
- Avoid excessive alcohol consumption or smoking because they can decrease blood flow — thus impeding the healing process.
Maintaining Proper Oral Care
The health of your gums is crucial to the long-term success of your All-on-4 treatment. Even though the implants won’t decay or become infected, it doesn’t mean your gums won’t be affected.
Infected gum tissue that surrounds an implant can lead to peri-implantitis — a condition that causes bone loss. This can loosen the implant and result in implant failure.
You can make sure your smile stays healthy by thoroughly removing infection-causing bacteria and food particles. This is why proper oral care — brushing twice a day and flossing after meals — is essential. Dr. Stockdale also recommends that you use mouthwash to rinse after brushing and flossing.
Choosing Gentle Dental Care Products
While you can brush and floss your implants as you would your natural teeth, we recommend buying specific products to ensure that you don’t damage them in the future.
- Toothbrush – Choose one with soft bristles that won’t irritate your gums or scratch your restoration.
- Toothpaste – While most toothpaste is fine, watch out for those that contain abrasive or harsh ingredients. If you don’t know, look for the ADA Seal of Approval.
- Floss – Dr. Stockdale recommends choosing either nylon-coated floss or a specially designed floss for use with dental implants.
- Mouthwash – Like toothpaste, avoid harsh, abrasive ingredients. Also, choose one that doesn’t contain alcohol because it can dry out your mouth and interfere with healing.