Can I drink alcohol after getting dental implants?

11/26/2018 The main specialization of our clinic is carrying out complex dental implantation in a few days. This means that our patients receive new teeth immediately after installation of implants. Due to the fact that the treatment lasts only a few days, many people decide to undergo it before important events in life - meetings, performances, anniversaries and even before their own wedding. Of course, it’s a “sin” not to drink on them, because you need to not offend the owners of the house and wash your new teeth. Therefore, a completely reasonable question arises: is it possible to drink alcohol after dental implantation? And if possible, then how much.

To drink or not to drink: that is the question

We understand that sometimes a little sip is necessary. For example, so as not to offend the owners of the house or the organizers of the event. But here it is important to know when to stop and remember that new teeth are not only useful, but also quite expensive.

You personally need to weigh the pros and cons. Either get momentary pleasure, questioning the survival of the implants and risk losing the guarantee from the clinic, or still give up alcohol and enjoy your new teeth for a very, very long time.

To the question “can you drink after implantation,” our answer is categorical. NO. Check out our ARGUMENTS why we strongly DO NOT recommend drinking alcohol after having implants installed.

Alcohol and implantation: is it possible or not?

For many, alcohol is a universal means of relaxation, including during stressful situations. This is a feature of the Russian mentality. And although implantation is a painless and simple procedure, like tooth extraction, the very need to come to a dental clinic and spend about an hour in a chair causes stress for many. Of course, this fear is understandable and understandable, however, implantologists strongly recommend abstaining from drinking alcohol for at least a couple of days before surgery, as well as for at least two weeks after. Ideally, you should give up alcohol for the entire duration of implant healing (2 – 6 months)

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Perhaps there are people around you who could afford to drink a little during the rehabilitation period and this did not affect the final result. But we must remember that there are individual characteristics of the body, and what suits one person is absolutely not suitable for another.

Bone tissue is destroyed, gums heal poorly

Any alcoholic drink contains alcohol and fusel oil, a fermentation product. In moderation, these oils are relatively harmless - they are what give the drink its flavor. Vodka is considered the “cleanest” drink, whiskey is considered the “dirtiest” drink. Fermentation products are also found in beer, but not only in the form of oils, but also in the form of bacteria, which can cause inflammation in an open wound. Therefore, neither pure alcohol, nor vodka, nor whiskey, and especially beer, can be used for antiseptic treatment of wounds, as some men believe. And beer can also generally cause tissue inflammation.

Please do not read the Internet and do not study the stories of people who wrote that “they drank alcohol after getting implants or a tooth removed and nothing happened.” A lot depends on the amount of alcohol consumed, the nature of the surgery, its complexity, your state of health and the medications prescribed. If it worked for others, this does not mean that you will not have complications either.

Fusel oil, which is contained in alcohol, leads to the following negative effects:

• irritation of the mucous membrane, which slows down the healing process and causes inflammation of the gums,
• if alcohol-containing drinks come into contact with a fresh wound, they can cause severe pain and even a small burn,
• vasodilatation, pressure surges and, as a consequence, prolonged bleeding,
• inhibition of all natural processes of the body, which affects the rate of “healing” of wounds,
• gradual destruction of bone tissue,
• increased risk of complications - hematoma, purulent inflammation, peri-implantitis and implant rejection.

Negative consequences of drinking alcohol before and after the procedure

Drinking alcohol before the procedure may affect the progress of the surgery. Combination with anesthesia threatens the following consequences:

• a sharp decrease in pressure;
• dizziness;
• stopping breathing;
• cardiac dysfunction;
• allergic reaction;
• swelling of the larynx;
• death.

Alcohol can neutralize the effect of the anesthetic. After increasing the dose of pain medication, the situation will only get worse.

Drinking alcohol after anesthesia and surgery increases the likelihood of a toxic effect on the body, that is, it increases the duration of action several times. This threatens the development of toxic hepatitis and other complications.

Antibiotics are prescribed, which means alcohol is prohibited

When implanting teeth, antibiotics are often prescribed (if teeth were removed before installing implants, there was pronounced periodontitis and periodontal disease). But antibiotics and alcohol are not compatible - not only your attending physician will tell you this, it is also written in the instructions for almost all drugs. The consequences can be both relatively harmless (the medicine simply will not work) or very sad - even death. Alcohol is prohibited during the entire period of taking antibiotics, as well as for at least 4 days after.

Yes, not all antibiotics cannot be combined with alcohol. But most of them. Among the unpleasant consequences are palpitations, nausea, vomiting, increased blood pressure and general intoxication of the body.

What else is important to take into account in the postoperative period

The recovery period must be accompanied by compliance with the following rules:

• Limit driving for 24 hours after the procedure. Post-surgery stress can lead to loss of alertness, sleep, and road accidents.
• No smoking. Smoking causes a burn to the oral mucosa and causes the breakdown of blood clots. Plaque from cigarettes creates a cariogenic situation in the mouth.
• After surgery, you should not drink until the edges of the wound stick together. This happens within a few hours.
• Avoid eating until the local anesthesia wears off. Chewing under anesthesia can damage healthy tissue.
• Follow a diet during the period of implantation. Avoid salty, hot, spicy, hard and sticky foods.
• Do not exercise for 3 days after surgery.
• Avoid thermal procedures (baths, saunas, solariums, do not take hot showers or baths for 3 days).
• Avoid chewing on the implantation side.
• Do not disturb the wound. Do not touch the operated area with your tongue, fingers, or any objects (toothbrush, toothpicks, ear sticks).
• Do not self-medicate.
• Do not rinse your mouth for several days.
• Brush your teeth carefully, without touching the operated area.

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You forget that you need to see a doctor

Such situations, of course, arise if the patient drinks alcoholic beverages for a long period of time. Shifting the visit to the doctor by 1-2 days (after a month after installation of the implants) is allowed. But in the first week, visits to the doctor should be strictly day-to-day.

If a patient misses regular visits to the doctor, if the prosthesis is not adjusted, this can lead to disruption of the healing process of the implants and the functioning of the entire jaw system. For example, the bite changes due to improper closing of the jaws; the prosthesis will cause overload of the implants and the temporomandibular joint. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to individual visit schedules.

When can you drink alcohol?

The harm of any alcoholic beverages is obvious. However, during postoperative rehabilitation, the impact of addictions aggravates the situation and reduces the body's regenerative and protective forces. If the patient does not suffer from alcoholism, then he will not experience an acute need for alcohol and will not jeopardize the result of the operation. According to medical instructions, it is permissible to drink alcohol 5-7 days after implantation.

If the patient wants to achieve quick implantation and the absence of complications, then he should forget about alcohol for six months.

Reasons for quitting alcohol

As with any surgical procedure, you must abstain from alcohol before implantation. This is primarily due to the fact that pain relief will be carried out by administering potent medications. The consequences can be very different; the anesthetic simply may not work, so the person will experience severe pain during the doctor’s work. More serious complications often occur.

This can be explained as follows: alcohols affect the viscosity of blood and change its properties. As a result, severe swelling appears and bleeding may occur, which poses a threat to life. In addition, alcohol slows down the process of tissue restoration and wound healing, promotes the systematic destruction of the jaw bone, causes irritation of the mucous membranes and even provokes suppuration at the site of intervention.

Another important point: under the influence of alcohol, a person becomes inattentive, he loses the ability to adequately assess what is happening around him. That is why someone may not notice how during the recovery period he accidentally injures the area where the implant is installed, but he does not immediately seek help, he may forget to brush his teeth well, etc. It is preferable to forget about alcohol for several months until the implant completely fuses with the bone tissue.

How to behave after surgery

Doctors give the following recommendations after dental implantation:

1. Do not use irrigators. Any treatment of the oral cavity should be as soft and gentle as possible. Oral baths are indicated. Active rinsing with antiseptic solutions is prohibited before the sutures are removed.
2. Brush your teeth with gentle movements using a soft brush (your doctor will recommend a brush). You can use dental floss and superfloss. But it is better to clean your teeth directly at the operation site only with a cotton swab dipped in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.
3. Avoid involuntary sneezing, coughing and blowing your nose, especially if the implantation is associated with sinus lift surgery. A sharp increase in pressure in the maxillary sinus can lead to mechanical damage to the bone tissue and displacement of the implant.
4. Avoid extreme temperature changes. For this reason, it is better not to visit baths and saunas.
5. Air travel can also be harmful because rapid changes in altitude make it difficult to avoid a surge in pressure in the ear-nose-throat system.

Complications

As with any other operation, some complications are possible when performing such plastic surgery, including:

• violation of the integrity of the nasal mucosa and, as a result, a constant runny nose;
• entry of the implant into the sinus and possible damage to it;
• the appearance of an oroantral type fistula;
• bleeding and inflammation in the sinuses.

It is important to note that the higher the level of professionalism of the doctor, the lower the risk of any complications.

Useful tips

It is not so easy for long-term smokers to give up the bad habit. In this case, experts advise stopping smoking completely for at least two days after surgery, and then significantly reducing the number of cigarettes per day. As for alcohol, there are no concessions here; you need to wait until the mucous membrane has completely healed.

Take dental implants more seriously. Remember that this is a full-scale operation. Since you have decided to restore using this method, try to follow all the recommendations of your doctor.

On the day of implantation.

1. On the day of implantation, you need to eat 2 hours before the procedure, but not very dense or heavy food. Just as you can’t do implantation on an empty stomach, you shouldn’t overeat before surgery. You can drink water immediately before the operation.
2. You need to thoroughly brush your teeth before the procedure.
3. You need to choose clothes that are comfortable and do not cause any oppressive sensations.
4. Do not drive a vehicle immediately after the operation. Arrange with someone close to you so that you can take them or use a taxi.

You can learn more about the restrictions for dental implantation HERE.

For more information and to make an appointment with a specialist, call:

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Increased appetite and relaxed state

For a certain period after surgery, the patient is required to adhere to a certain diet, from which various solid foods that can damage the implant, as well as some irritants, are excluded.

Our body is designed in such a way that drinking alcohol stimulates a strong appetite. After drinking a bottle of beer or a couple of glasses of wine, you may simply break down and start eating everything, including prohibited foods. Ultimately, all this will affect the implants and the quality of their healing.

Operation concept

Sinus lifting is a specific operation that is prescribed to patients in case of insufficient thickness of their own bone tissue. It is carried out in the upper jaw area, thickening the bone, which has atrophied. This is a real surgical procedure that is performed by experienced and well-trained dentists. The essence of the action:

1. The doctor uses osteotomes to push back the bottoms of the sinuses through a narrow gap in the gum.
2. The empty space is filled with artificial bone.
3. The procedure is completed, and the material takes root over time.

Bone wasting can be caused by the following factors:

• characteristic features of the jaw structure;
• age-related changes;
• long-term lack of pressure on a specific area due to tooth loss in the past.

Quite often, a sinus lift is needed if the patient has lost a tooth a long time ago. It does not matter whether it was an injury or a forced removal, the result is always the same - there was no load on the gums, and, consequently, bone tissue atrophy occurred. Another common case is the low location of the maxillary sinus, resulting in a lack of space for implant installation.

The sinus lift procedure has been in great demand among dentists for 30 years, since with its help any patient has the opportunity to appreciate all the advantages of dental implantation, regardless of existing dental diseases.

What to choose - anesthesia or pain relief?

Local anesthesia is almost universally used in dentistry.

All modern anesthetic drugs are non-toxic and hypoallergenic, provided they are selected correctly. Anesthetics used in private dental clinics are absolutely safe.

Modern anesthetics can provide complete absence of sensation in the oral cavity for a long time, up to 5 hours. Thereby making the patient’s stay in dentistry comfortable. As an example, many patients fall asleep during dental appointments thanks to good anesthesia.

“Anesthesia doesn’t take me away!”

Every dentist has heard this. The anesthetic affects all people the same. If the anesthesia does not work (does not take effect) on you, then the doctor does not have the proper skills in administering anesthesia.

It is not possible to become infected with infectious diseases during the administration of anesthesia. In private dental clinics, a special carpule syringe system is used, which completely eliminates contact of the solution and needle with the environment and even with the syringe itself.

Anesthetics, if chosen correctly, do not affect the fetus during pregnancy and do not affect the composition of breast milk in nursing mothers.

The quality of anesthesia can be affected by long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with a pronounced analgesic effect (painkillers), narcotics

Anesthetics are not addictive.

Other bone grafting methods

There are other common types of bone grafting. There are several differences between them: the purpose of the exercise and the necessary material. Popular:

• Autotransplantation. Used in cases where it is necessary to increase the width of bone tissue. At the first stage, the doctor collects material from the patient himself, then installs the screw and secures the chips and membrane. Lastly, the gums are sutured. It is believed that autotransplantation is the most optimal method, since it rarely causes implant rejection.
• Synthetic replacement. When building up artificial teeth, a synthetic powdery material is used, which is completely hypoallergenic.
• Barrier membranes. They are used to prevent the most common complication during implantation—bone growth into the mucosa. A special membrane separates the mucous membrane from the material, which helps strengthen the installed blocks.

Numbness after dental implantation

For most patients, anesthesia wears off within four to five hours after implant placement. Then oral sensitivity should return. If numbness persists after this period, then you have cause for concern because it may indicate nerve damage. This is only possible when the operation was performed on the lower jaw, because there are no large nerves in the upper jaw.

Other symptoms of mandibular nerve injury are lack of facial skin sensitivity, excessive salivation, and difficulty speaking and eating. Timely diagnosis will help to establish the nature and extent of the damage and manage the treatment with medications rather than surgical methods.

Preparing for implantation for women.

Taking into account the specifics of the female body, in addition to other conditions of preparation for implantation, it is necessary to take into account a number of individual factors.

• If a woman is planning a pregnancy, then implantation must be carried out 6 months before. The body needs reserves to engraft implants, and during pregnancy very strong hormonal changes occur and the body's resources are spent on the development of the fetus.
• After the baby is born, a period of breastfeeding follows. Dental implantation is also delayed and can be performed 3 months after the end of lactation.
• There are restrictions on the days of the menstrual cycle. Implantation can be performed 3-5 days before the start of the cycle and 3-5 days after the first day.
• For some women over 50 years of age, a slightly more extensive medical examination may be needed.

Antibiotics after dental implantation

For preventative purposes, the doctor prescribes a course of antibiotics after surgery. In most cases, this is inevitable, since surgical trauma, even with the modern level of development of medicine, carries a high risk of infection. Therefore, it is better not to ignore antibacterial drugs prescribed by a doctor if you do not want to additionally place unnecessary burden on your immune system to fight infection.

Most often, the course of antibacterial therapy does not exceed 7 days, and broad-spectrum drugs are prescribed - amoxicillin, amoxiclav, cephalosporins. They are characterized by low toxicity and have long proven themselves to be well tolerated by the human body.

Is there an allergy to titanium?

There is no allergy to titanium; moreover, not a single case of allergy has been recorded in the world so far.

If you have allergies to metals or other substances, you need to pay special attention to the stage of prosthetics. The implant itself is certainly made of titanium, but the orthopedic components (abutment, gum formers, screws and crown frames are made of other metals or metal alloys containing titanium.

Therefore, before starting treatment, discuss all the nuances with your dentist. If necessary, all components can be made from either titanium or zirconium dioxide, both of which are bioinert.

Rehabilitation period

In addition to avoiding strong and low-alcohol drinks, patients after sinus lift and bone grafting should adhere to the following recommendations:

• avoid heavy physical activity and active sports;
• postpone air travel for a month;
• try to climb to high floors by elevator, rather than on foot;
• carry out the prevention of colds, since due to severe sneezing, runny nose and cough, implants may fall out;
• Avoid foods that are too hard, hot or cold;
• Try not to drink drinks through a straw.

Such recommendations are universal and suitable for every patient, regardless of the type of surgery performed. But, in some cases, the dentist may prescribe a special diet, mouth rinse and healing medications to speed up the recovery process.

The implant may not take root...

To begin with, let’s understand that an implant is a non-living structure, so it cannot take root anywhere.

The body may not notice it and due to mechanical retention in the bone tissue it is retained. In other words, the bone does not see the implant and during the healing process tightly covers it (the implant). Yes, indeed, in Russian and world practice, about 0.05% of all installed dental (dental) implants are not integrated.

Moreover, I will say that the number of complications directly depends on the implant manufacturer, the qualifications of doctors, equipment, and on the patient himself.

With proper planning of the operation, the correct choice of dental implants, and the final result, you can guarantee a 100% result for life.

Simultaneous (immediate) implantation

This prosthetic method is a one-stage implantation. In this case, the dentist removes the patient’s damaged tooth and immediately installs an artificial root.

Implantation immediately after tooth extraction is only possible if the bone tissue has sufficient volume to accommodate the implant - for example, if the tooth was damaged or lost in an accident. But tooth loss much more often occurs due to diseases when bone tissue is lost. Therefore, this method is not always available.

Dental implantation is an achievement of modern dentistry that allows you to restore lost teeth and use them for the rest of your life. And if you carefully follow your doctor’s recommendations, your smile will always bring joy to your loved ones!