September 18, 2025
Chosen dental implants as your preferred tooth replacement system? Good choice.For patients having dental implant treatment with our incredible implant dentist, Dr Gutierres, in London, we'll provide a full breakdown of the instructions they’ll need to follow to prepare for placement.Are you the sort of person who likes to know what to do beforehand so you can feel organised and confident? Well, we’ve put together this guide to educate patients on what to expect ahead of time, so they can go into the treatment fully informed and with no reason to feel overwhelmed.Here’s what we would recommend doing in the lead-up to your dental implant procedure:
We’re the magical team behind rebuilding your smile. We’re not here to judge you or your dental history but to learn everything we need to get you through this process safely. That all starts with transparency.To ensure correct treatment planning, we’ll need a complete and honest understanding of your medical history, past or current health conditions, and any medications you might be taking that might affect post-operative healing or bone integration.Dr Gutierres, your implant dentist, will typically cover all of these bases during your initial consultation to assess your suitability for treatment.During this consultation, Dr Gutierres will also take 3D scans and digital X-rays of your jaw to accurately evaluate the jawbone’s volume, density, and overall health. This will help him gain a good understanding of your unique oral anatomy and how it might affect the type of implant, angulation, treatment approach, and overall healing times.Open communication and honesty should follow you past your initial consultation and every stage.If you feel something’s not right, it feels odd, or you’re experiencing any discomfort whatsoever, speak to us about it so we can ensure the implant has integrated correctly. You’ll be happy and comfortable with each step of the process.
For your dental implant to succeed, it must integrate with the jaw. Consuming alcohol or smoking during critical phases can impair healing or increase the risk of complications.We advise avoiding both for a minimum of 24-48 hours before the surgery and, in an ideal world, for several days afterwards.
Most of our dental implant placements are carried out under local anaesthetic. If this is the case with your treatment, you’ll be fine to eat as usual – though, we’d typically recommend a light, balanced meal before your appointment. If you’re having dental sedation, then you’ll likely need to fast for 6-8 hours before your treatment.But don’t worry. If you’re having sedation, we’ll provide you with specific fasting instructions based on your particular sedation plan.
If your procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic, you’ll be free to drive yourself home without any cause for concern.But if sedation is part of your treatment, then you’ll need to arrange for someone to accompany you and stay with you for a few hours post-op until the effects wear off.You will not be permitted to leave the clinic alone and must have transport arranged beforehand.
What you wear won’t be hugely significant; however, being as comfortable as possible is essential.We recommend showing up wearing loose-fitting and comfortable clothes. If you’re female, we might also recommend that you avoid wearing makeup like lipstick or heavy moisturisers on the day.We would also advise patients who wear glasses not to wear contact lenses on the day of surgery, but switch back to their glasses if they plan on undergoing sedation.
While most people return to work the same day or the next, we advise relaxing as much as possible—your body heals when you’re relaxed.So, we would avoid any stressful activities or events. Don’t stress over major work deadlines, intense travel plans or marathons! Instead, line up some Netflix, stock some soft meals in the fridge and give yourself time to chill.If you've got any questions about your upcoming procedure, never hesitate to speak with us. Call 020 3583 9809.
