Flying after dental implant surgery for a single dental implant or just a few is not a concern. However, we recommend waiting if you have many dental implants, significant bone grafting, or a sinus lift.
Flying after any surgery is a legitimate concern for those getting dental implants. We will discuss guidelines that are recommendations for pilots and air crew. Therefore the rules are likely more strict than what is likely necessary for a passenger. As a passenger you can certainly fly immediately but you will have some minor increased risk of trouble. The more involved your dental implant surgery, the longer you should wait until you fly. A dentist that places the dental implant may do it guided without even making an incision into the tissue or it could involve serious bone grafting into the sinus and a large incision line, thus one dental implant is not always comparable to another.
Flying rules for a simple dental implant
So, for a simple dental implant you may fly immediately. In the photo shown a guided dental implant surgery was completed with a tissue punch that resulted in almost no trauma. No bone graft, no membrane, no sinus lift was needed, therefore the trauma to this area was very minimal. This individual could fly right away with very little concern.
What about flying after multiple dental implants OR more complex surgery.
If you have multiple dental implants or a more complex surgery then we advise you to wait 10-14 days before flying. That does not mean that you can not fly, simply that there are issues that may arise. In the photo shown below the surgery involved several teeth being extracted, 6 implants placed and two sinus bumps. You should delay flying in a case like this, because this is a much more invasive procedure than the situation above. This photo shows the patient after healing as most people would not be comfortable looking at surgical photo of this many implants.
Can I fly after a sinus lift?
We strongly advise that you wait 10-14 days after a sinus lift to fly. Again, as with all the rules here, this rule depends on the severity of your situation. In this particular case the answer depends on the volume of sinus you had reconstructed. A small sinus bump is not a big deal but a full sinus lift is much more invasive. Therefore the more invasive sinus lifts should wait longer than the minor sinus bumps.
My implant surgery involved the placement of a bone graft or tissue membrane. When can I fly?
If you have had a bone graft or a membrane placed, it is best to wait 10-14 days before you fly.
Flying after dental implant surgery? How long do I have to wait?
A simple answer is right away but it we advise to wait 10 days. Again, the severity of the procedure dictates how long you should wait. A simple straight forward implant will not restrict you from flying at all.
Will my dental implant set of the security sensors?
No, your dental implant will not set of any security sensors. Even very large metal rehabilitation with a large number of dental implants will not set off the security sensors.
