Victoria implant surgery day, arriving to getting home
Most anxiety about implant surgery day comes from not knowing its shape. It is shorter than people expect, most of it is preparation, and the part you were worried about is usually the briefest bit.
Eat normally beforehand unless you are having intravenous sedation, in which case fasting instructions apply and you will have been given them. Arrange the escort if you need one. Take any pre-surgical medication exactly as instructed. Keep the rest of the day free rather than planning to go back to work.
If you are nervous, say so when booking rather than on the morning, because it changes how the appointment is arranged. The comfort options are on Sedation Options and what the surgery itself involves on Guided Implant Surgery.
Have soft food in the house before implant surgery day. It is a small thing that makes the first evening considerably easier, as does the wider list on Recovery And Aftercare.
Surgery day
The day
Implant surgery day, hour by hour
Arrive and settle
Consent and questions first, then anaesthetic. This part takes longer than you expect and is deliberately unhurried.
The placement
Usually under an hour for one post. You feel pressure and movement, not sharpness. Headphones are fine.
Temporary and instructions
A temporary tooth where the plan includes one, then written aftercare instructions before you leave.
Going home
Drive yourself after local anaesthetic only. After sedation, your escort takes you home and stays with you.
That evening
After implant surgery the first hours set the tone
Anaesthetic wears off over a few hours, so take pain relief before it fully goes rather than waiting for discomfort to arrive. Ice on and off, soft cold food, head slightly raised when you sleep, and no rinsing on the first day. No smoking at all, which matters more on this day than almost any other.
Swelling will build over the following two days rather than appearing immediately, which surprises people who feel fine that evening. The full curve is on Implant Recovery Timeline, what would warrant a call on Implant Risks, and where this day sits in the whole sequence on Dental Implant Process.
Before it wears offPain relief
Not day oneRinsing
NoneSmoking
Read next
Around implant surgery day in Victoria
What is arranged in advance and what follows that evening.
Yes, unless you are having intravenous sedation, where fasting instructions apply and will have been given to you specifically. Arriving hungry for a local anaesthetic appointment helps nobody, and eating beforehand makes the first hours afterwards easier.
For a single implant, allow around ninety minutes in total. The placement itself is often under an hour, with consent, anaesthetic and aftercare instructions either side. Multiple implants, extractions or grafting take longer and we tell you when booking.
Pressure and vibration, not sharpness, because the site is fully numbed. Many people find the noise more bothersome than the sensation, which is why headphones help. If anything becomes uncomfortable, say so and more anaesthetic can be given.
Better not to, even after a straightforward placement. Keep the day free. Most people manage work the following day for a desk job, though the second day is when swelling peaks, so allowing for that is sensible.
Tell us, and we stop. Nothing about this appointment requires pushing through. If nerves are a known issue, raise it when booking so sedation can be arranged rather than discovering the problem in the chair.
Victoria patients
What Victoria patients say about the day
★★★★★4.9· 118 reviews on Google
★★★★★
Done before I expected it to start. Far less dramatic than I had built it up to be.
E. Marchetti
Single implant, Victoria
★★★★★
Remember almost nothing of it. My wife drove me home and I slept the afternoon.
W. Adeyemi
Sedated, Langford
★★★★★
Pressure and noise, nothing sharp. Drove myself home and had soup that evening.
P. Salvatore
Local only, Colwood
★★★★★
Full arch so it was a long session. Knowing the shape of the day beforehand helped a lot.
N. Bergqvist
Long appointment, Saanich
From the blog
Victoria implant guides: surgery day, sedation and healing
Appointment length, whether sedation is worth it for you, and how many days to keep free all depend on your specific case. Ask at the consultation so the day itself holds no surprises.
