Are Dental Implants Painful?

Dental implant surgery is an excellent and effective way to permanently replace damaged, decayed teeth. This surgical procedure involves affixing an artificial tooth into the jawbone. Hence, it almost always causes varying degrees of pain. 

Many patients are worried about the pain involved during a dental implants procedure. To alleviate this worry, we’ve outlined the fundamentals of full dental implants and how much pain you should expect during and after the procedure. 

What to expect during a Dental Implants Surgery?

The surgeon first opens the tissue inside your mouth during dental implants procedure. They then drill one or more titanium screws into the jawbone underneath your gums. This is an effective way to provide a stable and firm base for replacing it with false teeth. Dental surgeons will always administer local anaesthesia to numb the area around the site intended for implant. This way, the surgeon prevents you from feeling any pain while the dental implants procedure is underway. 

During recovery, you may feel varying degrees of pain which may last a few days. However, this pain is easy to manage with medications. However, if you experience pain in your implant site for more than a few days, or if the pain worsens, then you should immediately seek medical care. 

Getting affordable dental implants is usually the middle step of the three-step process. The complete process can also involve tooth removal, implanting screw insertion and then replacing the tooth. The three steps are usually carried out with several days between them. It can take a few months for the inserted screw to fuse with your jawbone firmly. Your dental surgeon will need to wait for some time before fixing the replacement crown to the titanium rod/screw. 

Does a Dental Implants Surgery hurt?

During the dental implants procedure, the dental surgeon uses local anaesthesia to numb the area around the surgical site. This prevents you from feeling any sort of significant pain while the procedure is underway. Your surgeon will explain the extent of anaesthesia which will be administered, beforehand. 

Does it hurt after a Dental Implants Surgery?

After the dental implants procedure, you may feel some discomfort or pain. However, this pain usually lasts for a few days, and gradually lessens with time. Initially, when the local anaesthesia wears off, you will feel the pain more acutely. This pain is usually centred around the surgical site on your jaw. 

Apart from the pain, you may also experience other symptoms after a dental implants surgery, such as:

• Jaw pain 
• Minor bruising 
• Swelling around the face (or gums) 
• Bleeding at the surgery site 

Your oral surgeon will prescribe pain-killers and give clear after-care instructions for managing the pain following the dental implants surgery. Some post-surgery care instructions may include:

• Putting ice packs to reduce the swelling 
• Administering over-the-counter or prescription pain-killers 
• Avoiding certain hot and hard food items 
• Resting adequately before and after the dental implants procedure 
• How to clean, and care for, the surgical site 

How long does the pain last after Dental Implants Surgery?

If everything heals as planned, the pain after a successful dental implants surgery is usually temporary. You may experience pain in your mouth for 3 to 5 days from the surgery date. The oral surgeon may prescribe pain medications to alleviate this pain for around 1 to 2 days following the procedure. 

You may even be able to resume normal everyday activities the day after undergoing a dental implants surgery. Apart from this, you should be ready for some bruising, swelling and stiffness in the jaw for a week at least. You should stop feeling the pain after a dental procedure within 8 to 10 days from the procedure in normal circumstances. 

What are the causes of pain after Dental Implants Surgery?

It is not too common to experience throbbing pain for a significant amount of time following a dental implants surgery. You may experience a sharper pain right after the surgery as the anaesthesia wears off gradually. However, this pain can be easily controlled with the prescribed pain medications and the passage of time.

You may develop complications after the procedure, as is the case with many surgical operations. In such cases, you should immediately seek medical help from your dentist or dental surgeon.

Some common causes of complications that may result in throbbing pain after a dental implants procedure are:

• Incision line opening – In this situation, the tissue around the inserted titanium rod re-opens after the surgery. This is one of the most common complications seen after a dental implants surgery. This may cause you to feel irritation or pain at the site. You can rinse your mouth with a chlorhexidine rinse or take an antibiotic to prevent infection.
• Infection – Infections may develop at the surgery site when bacteria enters the tissue and prevents natural healing. This may cause the incision site to reopen or fail to heal completely. 
• Improperly fitted implants – Feeling discomfort or pain right after the anaesthesia wears off following dental implants surgery can be a sign of an improperly fitted implant. This may indicate that the implant is not fusing to the jawbone normally. In such cases, the dental surgeon may advise on removing and reattaching the implant at a later date. 
• Dental implant complications – Apart from pain, there are other symptoms of post-surgical complications after a dental implants surgery. In case you experience nausea, fever, increasing swelling or excessive bleeding a few hours after the surgery, it is advised to call your dentist or oral surgeon immediately. 

Remember, if you experience pain for 2 weeks or more after a dental implants procedure then you should immediately seek help from your dentist or oral surgeon. 

Conclusion

To conclude, temporary pain should be expected after a full dental implants surgery. This can be managed well with medication and time. In case you feel the pain worsening, it may be a sign of complication. In such cases, get in touch with your dentist or dental surgeon immediately and seek medical help.