🦷 Does Getting a Dental Implant Hurt?

Dental implants are one of the most revolutionary solutions when it comes to addressing the problem of missing teeth and entail surgical procedures, but they also make people worry about the pain! People who come into dentists’ clinics usually ask questions regarding pain during the procedure, the recovery period, and discomfort. In this article, we will detail how painful a dental implant is by dissecting myths surrounding its undertaking, comparing how patients from different backgrounds perceive its “painful” nature, and finally answering common questions about dental implant surgery.

Do Dental Implants Hurt?

The simple answer is that you will not feel pain while having the surgery done around your mouth area. The truth about dental implantation surgery is that it is performed under local anesthesia or at times sedation. Hence, patients will not feel the slightest pain while the dentist performs the procedure successfully. However, individuals undergoing this procedure might experience some level of pressure that does not lead them to feel any pain.

The real concern for most patients comes when anesthesia wears off after surgery. Some mild to moderate soreness could be expected for a couple of days following the surgery. Fortunately, this latest discomfort can usually be managed with over-the-counter painkillers, for instance, ibuprofen, or some simple “cold packs” applied to the affected area. You may also be told to take some rest in addition to the mentioned methods of relieving post-surgery discomfort.

How Long Does a Dental Implant Hurt?

Generally, a short-term pain or tenderness would be within the time frame of 3 to 5 days after surgery; this period greatly depends on the health status of the individual and on how effective aftercare measures are taken. For individuals whose procedures had to be complicated or who were probably in need of additional bone grafts, the soreness might persist for close to ten days, thus making one wonder why some people were able to recover so fast. However, once the patient follows the medical instructions given and does not encounter any complications following the procedures, most individuals would eventually return to work or normal life, just about 24 to 48 hours after dental implant surgery.

If you find that discomfort persists beyond the two-week point or becomes severe rather than mild, you should get in touch with your dental care provider as this could mean infection or rejection.

Why Does My Dental Implant Hurt When I Chew?

However, it should be noted that the phase of healing and also after the dental implant procedure, pain felt while chewing is not something common. If you encounter some discomfort when you bite or even chew:

• The implant might be misaligned. This indicates that the implant has been placed in a position that causes some pain while chewing. The X-ray may reveal further information on this matter, and its optimization may be required from the dentist.
• The crown might be too high. The crown or prosthesis fitted on the implant may be too high and put unnecessary pressure. Your dentist can adjust this.
• Problematic teeth or tissues in the surrounding area. Pain or discomfort in nearby teeth as well as gum areas may undoubtedly affect chewing as well as putting pressure on the implants. Determining
• If there is a lot of load on the implant, then it can be due to excess pressure on this part of the issue.
• If the gums around the implant are swollen or the area surrounding you is not healthy, there can be damage near the implant.

Do not overlook these indicators. The implant site will still be painful for several weeks or even months after the procedure has taken place. Consult your dentist for guidance so that you can know what you are dealing with; this will mean going for a further investigation to check for cases like peri-implantitis or nerve irritation, thus putting your mind at ease.

Do Dental Implants Hurt Forever?

This question is very common, but its answer bears a lot of information. If dental implants are well-placed, appropriately cured, and properly cared for, nothing will give long-term discomfort or any indication that they are false teeth. After 3 to 6 months of complete fusion of jaw bone and implant — a term referred to as osseointegration —implants will feel just like natural teeth without feeling artificial.

However, if pain persists for months after the surgery, it should serve as a warning sign because something is wrong, either within the implant itself or the surrounding gum tissue.

How Bad Do Dental Implants Hurt?

One of the frequently asked questions of patients is: “Does the implant process hurt a lot?” The good news is that the majority of people note the absence of a lot of pain, especially if a good specialist is carrying out the operation.

Dental implant pain is generally in the range of 2 to 4 on the pain scale when on 1 to 10—i.e., the same as the level of uneasiness you may experience after your tooth extraction or a deep cavity filling. The surgical procedure itself is carried out under local anesthesia or sedation, so you will not have any pain during the surgery. People who went through an implant procedure mostly state that aching pain, tightening, and/or soreness are the most common forms of post-op pain, rather than sharp or intense pain.

The first day or two after getting the surgery, you should experience the most severe pain. During this time, you may experience swelling, bruising, and tenderness in your gums or jaw. Painkillers, both OTC and prescribed, are usually the most suitable medications. Ice packs and liquid food are also of help when it comes to an easier and more comfortable recovery.

On the other hand, the individual experience may have a number of variable factors influencing it:

• The number of dental implants: Possibly, the more implants that are placed, the more discomfort there is going to be in the mouth and gum areas.
• Bone grafting: If there is a need for additional bone grafting, the healing stage may be more painful.
• The health of the gums: Inflammatory and infected gums will lengthen the healing process and create pain sensitivity.
• Pain threshold: People have different pain tolerance limits.

e.g. In case your level of pain increases significantly and lasts after the third or fourth day and also on top of that you have a fever, pus, or a bad taste in your own mouth, then the dentist should be contacted immediately, because this could be an infection or the body could reject the implants.

Does the Final Stage of Dental Implant Hurt?

The final stage of the dental implant procedure requires insertion of the abutment and fixing of the custom-made crown—the part of the implant that really looks like your natural teeth, i.e., the crown.

At this point, no such painful or surgery-like procedures (like drilling into bone and placing an implant post) need to be carried out and the healing of the jawbone has been done completely by the process of osseointegration.

This step is usually not felt by the patient physically. On the contrary, patients are usually taken aback by how easy and fast the process is. The common sequence of events is as follows:

• Abutment: A tiny part (abutment) is connected to the implant post. The opening can sometimes be minor, but the local anesthetic is used if necessary.
• Crown: After that, a dental crown is bonded to the top of the abutment. This is an operation that is non-traumatic and free from pain. You may feel a little pressure or some tenderness of the gums for a day or two as the mouth adjusts to the new crown.

This step will not generally require the use of strong painkillers, and there is no period of recovery to be followed. Most patients will be able to go back to work the same day.

Although these, it is definitely important that the crown is placed correctly in line with your bite. If the bite does not feel right, the dentist must be informed immediately to preven