How Painful Is The Dental Implant Procedure?
When professionally performed and well planned, the dental implant procedure involves very little discomfort. In the majority of cases local anaesthesia is administered and many patients say that the procedure is less painful than the tooth extraction.
Will You Experience Dental Implant Pain After The Procedure?
Your dentist will make an incision in your jaw in order to access the bone. The implant is screwed into holes that are drilled in to the bone and the site is stitched up again. The procedure is surgical and minimally invasive, so some degree of swelling and tenderness can be expected.
The procedure is performed under anaesthetic so you will probably feel some discomfort once the anaesthetic starts to wear away.
The pain you feel will also be relative to the procedure and the number of implants that were placed.
How Long Does Dental Implant Pain Last?
Everyone is different and has a different pain threshold so this is difficult to answer. The window is quite wide, so you could probably expect some level of pain or discomfort to be present for up to 10 days after the surgery.
Swelling is likely to go down between three and five days after surgery.
Pain Timeline After Dental Implant Surgery
Seven days after surgery
You may still have some pain or discomfort seven days following surgery. This could last up to 10 days. Make sure you follow your dentist’s instructions.
14 days after surgery
Most pain should have gone away by this point. If you are still experiencing pain you should contact your dentist as it is possible you have developed an infection.
Three to four months after surgery
If you are still experiencing pain three months after your surgery it is most likely caused by one of these:
- Infection
If you develop an infection at the implant site it can cause pain. It is important that this is treated as early as possible.
- Damage to nerves or tissue
Although it is a rare occurrence, it is possible for nerve or tissue damage to occur if the implant has been positioned too close to a nerve. If this happens the implant will have to be replaced.
- Rejection of the implant
If the implant does not integrate fully with your body and it is rejected, it is considered an implant failure.
- A loose implant
Without sufficient bone density, the implant can become loose. This can be both painful or uncomfortable. A loose implant will need to be removed and replaced.
- An allergic reaction
In very rare cases a patient may have an allergic reaction to the metals used.
Other possible causes of pain include
- Inadequate blood supply
- Autoimmune disease
- Complications from other medication
With good planning and execution by a suitable experienced practitioner, dental implant pain does not have to be prolonged. Contact our practice today to speak to a professional about dental implants.
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