Tooth Implant Pain After Surgery – Tips to Manage the Pain

Anyone considering getting a dental implant is naturally concerned about whether it hurts and how to manage tooth implant pain after surgery.

This article sets out to explain what discomfort you might expect after dental implant surgery and gives you some handy tips to help manage any pain. We’ll also fill you in on what’s involved in the healing process.

Firstly, the good news is that you should feel no pain at all during dental implant surgery. You will be given a local anaesthetic to numb the area of your mouth where the surgery is taking place or, if you’re a particularly nervous patient, you can also request dental sedation so that you have little, if any, recollection of what went on in the dentist’s chair.

So far so good, but what about the pain after dental implant surgery? 

While you shouldn’t feel any pain during surgery, once the effects of the local anaesthetic start to wear off it’s likely that you may feel some discomfort.

So how much discomfort? 

The amount of pain you feel after dental implant surgery depends on the type of procedure you have (digitally-guided vs conventional methods) how complex your procedure was and how many implants were placed.

As a general rule of thumb, the longer the surgery time and the more implants, the more discomfort you may feel during post-surgical recovery.

Tooth implant pain after surgery – How long does it last?

Thankfully, tooth implant pain is just a small part of the dental implant healing process and the degree of discomfort varies from one patient to another.

If you had a straightforward implant procedure with just one implant, it isn’t unheard of for people to return to work the next day.  Alternatively, if your procedure was long and involved several implants, it isn’t unusual to feel some discomfort for up to 10 days after dental implant surgery.

Once any post-surgery pain has elapsed, patients will find that the healing process is little more than a waiting period for the bone in their jaw to fuse with the implant in a process known as osseointegration. This is a critical part of the implant procedure and the success of an implant depends on this taking place. Once osseointegration has taken place successfully, your implant can be topped with a dental crown to complete the restoration.

So, getting back to tooth implant pain after surgery. We promised you some tips on managing post-surgical pain, so here goes…

Tips to help you manage pain following dental implant surgery

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help manage and minimise any pain you may feel from dental implant surgery, they include…

Where possible opt for computer-guided methods

Digitally-guided implants involve a flapless (keyhole) surgical technique that doesn’t necessitate opening up the gum. Because most of the surgery is planned virtually beforehand, the actual fitting of the dental implant is often quick. These things combined mean a more all-round comfortable experience leading to a speedier recovery with less discomfort.

Follow your post-surgery instructions  

Whatever your dentist tells you to do following dental implant surgery, make sure you follow the instructions. Failure to do so could prolong any discomfort and impact on the health of your mouth and your whole body, so please don’t ignore this tip.

Medication 

Typically, any pain felt in the early stages of post-surgery can usually be eased with over the counter painkillers such as Ibuprofen. But if the recommended dosage isn’t working, then consider phoning your dentist to ask about increasing the dose or whether he can recommend an alternative medication.

Ice  

The first day after dental implant surgery is when you’re most likely to experience discomfort. Try using ice to numb any pain and reduce facial swelling. Placing an ice pack or even a packet of frozen peas wrapped in a cloth to your cheek over the tender areas for the first couple of days will help immensely.

Saltwater 

Saltwater is great for fighting infection and bacteria and can also help relieve your pain. We recommend you dilute a teaspoon of salt in warm water and gently swish it around your mouth. It may sting a little, but it will help the healing process.

Maintain oral hygiene 

It’s also recommended to brush and floss your teeth 2 or 3 times every day. It’s really important to follow this tip to avoid infection, although your dentist may tell you to avoid brushing the surgery site for several days.

Rest 

It’s also important to give your jaw and your body plenty of rest following dental implant surgery. Do not do anything strenuous and avoid lifting any heavy objects. Allow your body to use all of its energy to heal your mouth.

Even though there is some pain after dental implant surgery it shouldn’t last more than 10 days and it’s a small price to pay for a lifetime of beautiful new teeth.

If you’re interested in getting dental implants then why not contact the experienced dental team at DDSS/DDII. We offer digital implants which are less invasive, more precise, and result in faster recovery time with less pain and discomfort than conventional implants. Contact us to schedule your digital implants consultation.

Gosford: (02) 8294 8656
Sydney: (02) 8294 5812