Patients usually don’t feel too much discomfort after dental surgery, but there are cases in our practice where some people experience several unpleasant symptoms at the same time after a surgical procedure. A range of discomforts can even affect their ability to work. How can I help my patient recover faster?

Detailed information is important

Before the procedure, patients should be fully informed that more or less unpleasant symptoms can occur after any dental procedure, and that there is an even greater risk of feeling unwell after the surgery, whether it’s after a tooth has been knocked out, an implant has been placed, or a jawbone has been attached. What symptoms you may experience depends on a number of factors. Before surgery, it is therefore worth reminding the patient to come to the dentist rested, calm, free from symptoms of viral infections and fever.

One of the dental procedures that patients fear the most is dental implants. “I think it’s normal to be a little nervous,” says Jolita Milerienė, an implantologist at the Implantology and Reconstructive Dentistry Clinic (IROK) in Vilnius (Lithuania). – I’ve often heard patients admit that they were so worried and thinking so much about the upcoming surgery that they didn’t sleep all night or had nightmares. Such patients come to us tired and frightened.”

The first step to help the patient feel better is to discuss their doubts and concerns well before the surgery and answer all their questions. It is worth reminding the patient not to overwork the day before the operation, to take more time for themselves and to calm down. “If you have a good night’s sleep before the surgery, half the work for the patient’s well-being is already done,” says the implantologist.

Unpleasant symptoms

However, whatever the technique used, implantation is an interventional procedure and may be followed by more or less unpleasant sensations. “Patients usually have the most difficult time 2-3 days after the implant is threaded. Afterwards, the symptoms only get easier,” says implantologist J. Milerienė.

After a dental implant, the patient may feel tightness, numbness, mild soreness in the mouth, swelling of the gums or face, and, in rare cases, a rise in body temperature and other signs of fever.

However, if jawbone augmentation is required before dental implants are placed, there may be more unpleasant symptoms after surgery. For example, if you have a maxillary bone augmentation and two implants are threaded together, the healing process can take up to two weeks. According to a Lithuanian man who successfully underwent such surgery, the first week after the procedure was horrible – his face was swollen, and he had a large haemorrhage on his skin, which spread to his neck. The patient said that he was in pain for a week after the operation and in great discomfort for the second week. The man took antibiotics and ibuprofen as prescribed by the doctor after the operation.

How a patient feels after surgery depends on a number of factors, two of which are the general condition of the body and the strength of the immune system.

In the practice of IROK implantologist J. Mileriene, cases where the patient feels unwell for a long time after the implantation are extremely rare, but more and more patients are getting dental implants in Europe, so the number of cases of more complicated healing may also increase.

“In general, dentists need to be prepared to help patients recover more quickly in more complex healing cases, and ideally to prevent unpleasant symptoms with additional measures to promote faster wound healing and patient recovery,” she shares.

Additional patient support

There is a growing trend in modern medicine towards natural and effective treatments. Patients are looking for alternatives to synthetic drugs and treatments that may cause unwanted side effects. It is therefore worthwhile for doctors to familiarise themselves with possible alternatives that can be offered to their patients or recommended as an aid to help them recover faster, while also taking antibiotics.

One of them is Fitodenta, a unique product developed by Lithuanian biotechnology scientists for faster recovery after dental surgery. The kit consists of two products: a mouth spray and a cosmetic gel. Clinical studies have shown that the best results are achieved when both products are used together – the spray inside the mouth on damaged gums and mucous membranes, and the gel on the outside, in the area of swelling.

The products are made up of active ingredients of natural origin, whose effectiveness has been proven in a clinical study: when used in combination with traditional post-operative medications, Fitodenta significantly reduced pain and swelling and accelerated the healing process by up to 40%.

The unique formula consists of cannabidiol (CBD), which works synergistically with other botanically derived active ingredients whose therapeutic effects have been validated by the European Pharmacopoeia. The substances in the product have anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving and healing properties.

Fitodenta product is intended for oral care and is classified as a cosmetic product.