Dental implants are a great option for anyone with missing teeth. Dental implants will replace those teeth and act as strong agents since they will be surgically implanted into your jawbone. This is much more effective than simply choosing dentures or other replacement options. If dental implants are the option you have chosen, you will want to know these four things about recovery to have the best success possible:

1. Do Not Smoke: First of all, you should know that you should not smoke when recovering from dental implant surgery. The problem with smoking is that it often leads to infection due to the open wounds that are still recovering in your mouth. It will take much longer for the wounds to heal if you continue to smoke, which will sometimes lead to the implants being rejected altogether. If this is the case, you will have to go through the surgery process again, which also means having to pay for it again. 
2. Do Not Use Straws: When you are drinking anything, you should not be using straws. This is because you most likely have stitches and blood clots that have formed to heal the wounds. When you use a straw, the suction you are creating can break the stitches and blood clots, making recovery much longer. You don't want to use straws until you are completely recovered, which is usually when the stitches have fallen out. 
3. Continue Oral Care: Many patients will simply feel as if brushing and flossing is impossible while recovering from dental implant surgery. However, if you avoid it, it can make healing much longer and rejection of the implants possible. Follow the instructions of your dentist for oral care. Most of the time, you are going to be able to brush and floss as normal, but you will just have to do it much more gently. 
4. Go to Follow-Up Appointments: The process of dental implants completely fusing to the jawbone is critical. If the implant does not fuse to the bone, it will be rejected and you will have to either go through the process of surgery again or find another replacement option. To ensure that the implants fuse to the jawbone, you need to make it to every follow-up appointment. Your dentist will ensure that this process is going smoothly and will provide you with much needed tips to help ensure that it continues to heal properly. 

When you know these four things about dental implant recovery, you can be sure that you are doing what you need to do to ensure that healing is quick and successful. For more information, contact local professionals like Peak Family Dentistry & Orthodontics.