Dental Implant Pain – How To Manage?
It’s normal to experience some discomfort in the surrounding area following dental implant surgery. Whether you’re recovering from or considering undergoing the procedure, this guide can offer tips for managing discomfort from dental implants and knowing when to seek help from your dentist. Schedule a free consultation at your local dental clinic to discuss with an expert all your concerns.
What Teeth Implant Pain to Expect
The dental implant procedure should be relatively pain-free, as the area will be numbed during the surgery. How you feel afterwards varies from person to person, but it’s not unusual or a bad sign to feel tenderness or soreness in your gums and jaws after a surgery.
Some people feel little to no discomfort following the procedure. If you do feel dental implant pain, it should reduce with time and your mouth should feel comfortable and normal within 10 days.
Swelling around your gums should subside within three to five days. Minor bleeding around your gums is also normal. Tooth implant pain should be less severe for patients undergoing a single implant rather than an all-on-four procedure for multiple dental implants.
Managing Teeth Implant Pain
Your dentist may prescribe pain medications to relieve tenderness or soreness around your dental implants. Follow the dosage instructions and avoid drinking alcohol or operating heavy machinery while on pain medications.
You can also use over-the-counter pain medications to manage discomfort.
Eating soft, cold, and warm foods can reduce discomfort while eating. Some patients prefer to eat liquid foods, like soup and smoothies, to manage tooth implant pain.
Managing Swelling from Dental Implants
Applying ice or a cold compress to your face around your dental implants can help reduce swelling. This is most effective when done in the 24 hours following dental implant surgery. Apply the ice pack for 20 to 30 minutes with 20 to 30-minute breaks in between.
Keeping upright for the first day after surgery can also reduce swelling. Avoid laying down directly following the surgery, and use extra pillows to elevate your head when sleeping the first night.
Managing Post-Surgery Nausea
Some patients feel nauseated from anesthesia or pain medications. You can take anti-emetic drugs after surgery to reduce the queasy feeling. Some patients feel better after smelling rubbing alcohol.
You can reduce the risk of nausea from pain medications by avoiding taking them on an empty stomach or switching to a less powerful, over the counter medication.
When to See Your Dentist About Teeth Implant Pain
Your symptoms, including swelling, bleeding, and discomfort, should decrease with time. If your symptoms worsen over the course of several days, are not controlled by pain medication, or persist after 10 days, contact your dentist; this may indicate that you have developed an infection.
Reducing Pain Before it Starts
Minimally invasive procedures, like dental implants offered by Dentistry on Solent, can reduce the amount of time spent healing.
DIO implant technology makes implant surgery quicker and safer. The computer-guided system makes a flapless surgery possible, which means you won’t need sutures and you should experience minimal to no bleeding. The quick and accurate procedure results in less trauma to the area and reduces your post-surgery discomfort. Get a free consultation near you, at Dentistry on Solent, to fin out more about DIO.
Promoting Healing Post-Surgery
The steps you take to support your healing after a dental implant procedure can also reduce the duration of your tooth implant pain. Follow your dentist’s instructions to help your mouth heal faster.
Avoid brushing your teeth for the first day following your dental implant surgery. After 24 hours, you can gently brush your teeth, but be careful around your dental implant so you don’t aggravate your surrounding gums.
Rinsing with salt water is a gentle way to remove food particles from around your teeth after eating while easing the stress in the area.
Avoid smoking after getting dental implants. Not only will smoking increase your tooth implant pain, but it may also compromise your overall oral health and hinder the natural healing process.
Your dentist will probably prescribe antibiotics to prevent infections from the surgery. Follow the instructions carefully and finish the entire dose to avoid complications.
Healing Part II: Osseointegration
Osseointegration refers to the titanium implant fusing to your bone to create a secure and lasting root to hold the artificial tooth. This process can take up to several months, but patients can resume their normal lives after a few days. Some dentists may recommend eating soft foods for a couple of weeks following implant surgery.
Dental implants can improve your bone health by discouraging bone recession in the same way that a natural tooth root does.
Other Common Post-Implant Surgery Issues
You may experience jaw stiffness after surgery. This should dissipate within several days, but you may be able to enhance the process with jaw exercises.
If you choose to undergo an implant surgery with general anesthesia, you may experience dizziness or lightheadedness later that day. Plan to have someone watch you for the 24 hours following your surgery and be careful when standing from a seated or lying position.
Discolouration around your gums due to bruising is normal and should subside quickly.
Avoiding Long-term Problems
Practising general oral care can protect your dental implants as well as your natural teeth and reduce the risk of encountering teeth implant pain in the future. Healthy eating habits, good oral hygiene, and biannual dental appointments can help you avoid future pain.
Final Thoughts
Embedding dental implants is one of the most predictable dental procedures with a nearly 98% success rate. Some patients feel no pain throughout the entire process, although some tooth implant pain is not uncommon or problematic.
Dentistry on Solent can help you restore your smile with a cutting-edge dental implant system that is comfortable and quick. To learn more about how our services can enhance your teeth, call us for a free consultation:(02) 9158 6137.
