Getting a dental implant is known for causing stress and anxiety. Thankfully, modern sedation dentistry techniques and treatments allow you to go through your procedure with little-to-no discomfort. But what about all that pain and discomfort afterward? Read on to learn tips for having a quick and speedy recovery after dental implant surgery.

Get Plenty of B Complex

Vitamin B complex helps your gums reattach and heal after surgery. In one study, participants had a vitamin B complex pill daily for 30 days after surgery to achieve optimal healing. Because there are several different types of B vitamins, if you're selecting a B-complex tablet, read through the nutrition facts label to ensure that it provides 100% of each type of B vitamin. 

Up Your B12 Intake

Vitamin B12 not only helps speed up your recovery, but it's also shown to lower your pain level in clinical studies. While the daily recommendation is just 2.4 mcg per day, study participants who reported pain relief had up to 2.5 mg daily.

Focus on Vitamin D

You probably already know that vitamin D is essential for strong bones and aids in calcium absorption. But vitamin D is also a powerful antioxidant that rids your body of free radicals that are known for breaking down cells and tissues. Not only does vitamin D protect fragile gum tissues after dental implant surgery, but it also helps heal and strengthen your jawbone. You should be getting 600 to 800 IU of vitamin D daily.

Up Your Vitamin C Intake

One of the biggest concerns after dental implant surgery is a risk of infection. This is why it's so important to give your immune system a boost and ensure it has one of the primary nutrients it needs to run efficiently: Vitamin C. This powerful nutrient also helps your body make collagen, a connective tissue that's essential for healing wounds. Aim for 75-90 mg of vitamin C daily to meet the recommendation. 

Continue Brushing and Rinsing

Even though you're likely going to experience pain and swelling, especially the first few days after dental implant surgery, it's still important to continue following your home oral hygiene routine. Dentists generally recommend brushing twice a day after your procedure but use only a soft-bristle brush. Avoid brushing around the implant site until your gums heal. Rinsing twice a day, or as recommended, helps remove debris from the surgical site, while destroying infection-causing bacteria. You can purchase an antibacterial rinse that doesn't contain alcohol -- alcohol burns and can dry out your surgical site -- or make a rinse with warm water and salt.

Before dental implant surgery, talk with your cosmetic dentistry office about all medications you're taking, including over-the-counter varieties and supplements. They need to ensure that your current medications don't interact with pain or antibiotic medication you may need after your implant procedure.

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