Understanding Dental Implants And Eye Swelling Issues
Dental implant surgeries can place a great deal of stress on the body, and you will notice the vast majority of this right after the implant procedure is completed. As the body starts to heal, you will experience some swelling, and some people are surprised by how much swelling they notice across the face. In fact, you may even notice some swelling around the eyes. Keep reading to learn why this may happen and how you can control the inflammation.
Why Does The Eye Area Swell
You may understand that the body responds naturally to trauma by swelling. Specifically, the soft tissues around a surgical site will swell. This occurs for several reasons. Swelling occurs due to the dilation of the blood vessels. This widening allows the traumatized area to receive more blood. Oxygen and nutrients are then able to reach the damaged area much more easily and this assists with the healing process. Swelling also occurs due to the movement of white blood cells to the region. These cells are much larger than other blood cells and they also produce fluid byproducts that can contribute to inflammation.
When it comes to the mouth, gums, and the implant surgical area, the oral cavity has isolated and small blood vessels. While the gums will swell in response to your surgery, the larger arteries that feed the gum capillaries will also need to dilate to increase blood flow. When this happens, your face swells. If the implant is closer to the back of the mouth, then some of the blood vessels around the cheek and eye will become inflamed.
How To Control Swelling?
While swelling is a normal reaction of the body, it is often more pronounced than it needs to be. Since the inflammation itself can cause discomfort, it is wise to control it as much as possible. Swelling will typically occur around the eyes and cheeks the day after your implant operation. Swelling will then increase and linger for about two to three days.
The key to keeping inflammation at bay is to use ice packs on the face before the swelling appears. Start using ice packs a few hours after your surgery is completed. Place the pack along the cheek, cheekbone, and across the temple to keep the entire area free of inflammation. Use the pack for 20 minutes at a time and continue to apply the ice for the next three days.
If the ice packs do not reduce the swelling or if the eye swells to the point where you have difficulty opening it, then speak with a dentist, like Byron C Scott, DMD - Springhill Dental Health Center, about the problem.
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