Victoria implant aftercare, the first week and beyond
Most people find implant aftercare easier than they expected and slower than they hoped. Swelling peaks around day two or three, the first week is the demanding part, and soft food continues for weeks while the bone does its work.
Anaesthetic wears off over the first few hours and the site becomes tender. Swelling builds rather than appearing immediately, usually peaking on the second or third day, then easing. Bruising can appear later still and can travel, which looks alarming and is generally harmless. Most people are back at a desk job the next day and glad they took the second day off.
After the first week the site settles and the long phase begins: months of integration while the bone grows onto the post, described on Implant Recovery Timeline. Soft food is the aftercare rule that matters most in that period, not caution for its own sake; loading a post too early is one of the ways a case fails, as covered on Implant Risks.
A graft site follows the same shape with more swelling and a longer wait, which is set out on Dental Bone Graft.
Recovery
How it works
Implant aftercare, in four phases
First 24 hours
Rest, ice on and off, no rinsing, no smoking. Take pain relief before the anaesthetic fully wears off rather than after.
Days two to seven
Swelling peaks then eases. Warm salt rinses from day two, soft food, and keep brushing the rest of your mouth normally.
Weeks two to six
The site closes and feels normal. Soft food continues because the bone underneath is still working even when the gum looks healed.
Months, then restore
Integration completes over three to six months with reviews along the way, then the final tooth is made and fitted.
When to call
Implant aftercare, what is normal and what is not
Normal aftercare: swelling for several days, bruising, tenderness, a metallic taste, and small amounts of blood in saliva on the first day. Not normal: pain that increases after day three rather than decreasing, swelling that worsens after day four, a bad taste with discharge, numbness that does not resolve, or a post that feels mobile. Any of those, call us rather than waiting for the review.
Longer term, the implant aftercare habit that decides the outcome is cleaning around the post, which is on Caring For Implants. Smoking materially reduces the odds of integration, and it is the one thing you control that makes the largest difference. What daily life looks like once it is all finished is on Living With Implants, and the appointment itself on Implant Surgery Day.
Often next dayBack to work
Pain increasesCall if
Lowers oddsSmoking
Related pages
Victoria implant care before recovery, and long after
The appointment you are recovering from, and the habits that protect the result.
Time off, eating, cleaning the site and when to be concerned.
Most people manage a desk job the next day, though many prefer to take it. Physical work deserves two or three days, since exertion increases swelling and bleeding. For multiple implants or a graft, plan for two to three days regardless of the job.
Soft food for the first few weeks at minimum, and nothing hard on that side until the final restoration is fitted. The gum feels healed long before the bone has integrated, which is why the restriction outlasts the discomfort by months.
Keep brushing the rest of your mouth normally from day one. Avoid the surgical site itself for the first few days, then reintroduce gentle cleaning with a soft brush as it settles. Warm salt rinses from day two help. We give written instructions before you leave.
Pain increasing after day three, swelling worsening after day four, discharge with a bad taste, numbness that does not resolve, or any sense that the post is moving. Call rather than wait. Most of these are manageable when caught early and much worse when left.
Yes, more than almost anything else you control. It reduces blood supply to the healing site and substantially raises the chance of the implant failing to integrate. Stopping even for the healing period measurably improves the odds, and we will say so plainly rather than skirt it.
Victoria patients
What Victoria patients say about recovery
★★★★★4.9· 118 reviews on Google
★★★★★
The written sheet said exactly what to call about. I used it on day four and was glad it existed.
C. Lindqvist
Single implant, Victoria
★★★★★
Booked the placement for a Thursday on their advice. Two quiet days at home and back on Monday.
I. Beaumont
Two implants, Langford
★★★★★
Ice on and off through the first evening as instructed. Day two was the worst, then it turned.
N. Achebe
Graft and implant, Colwood
★★★★
Called on a Sunday about a taste I did not like. Someone answered and told me what to watch for.
G. Sorensen
Called on day four, Saanich
From the blog
Victoria implant guides: aftercare, healing time and risks
Know the implant aftercare in Victoria before you book
Recovery is easier to plan for than to be surprised by. At the consultation you will hear how many days to set aside for your specific case, how long soft food lasts and exactly what would warrant a call.
