Before getting dental implants in Naples, FL, it’s natural to wonder what sort of discomfort you might experience soon after.
After all, pain is one of the main reasons why people develop dental anxiety in the first place. You can learn everything you need to know about post-implant surgery pain and how to manage it below.
The implant surgery itself won’t hurt at all. Today, it’s rare to find a dentist near you who won’t rely on local anesthesia or even sedation to help patients feel relaxed, let alone for a major procedure like implant surgery.
First, the dentist will make an injection into the implant site and administer a local anesthetic. This will numb the area and ensure you won’t feel a thing. You may also receive dental sedation, such as laughing gas or oral conscious. While these don’t necessarily affect pain, they can help you feel more comfortable.
After both the local anesthetic and sedation kick in, the dentist surgically inserts the metal post into the bone. Your mouth will still be numb for a few hours after the procedure, so you won’t feel any pain.
Once it wears off, however, things will change a bit.
Most patients stop feeling any pain or discomfort around one week after their treatment. Usually, the pain will peak at the 3- or 5-day mark, but remember that everyone is different.
Still, all this discomfort goes away relatively quickly and is easily manageable with over-the-counter pain medication like Ibuprofen.
As for how much pain you’ll feel, it’s impossible to say. This generally depends on your body and how you usually tolerate pain. But most patients don’t describe intense pain after implant surgery.
Dental implant recovery can take around 6 months on average. The jawbone, gums, and other tissues must fuse to the metal post in a process called osseointegration. Until this process is complete, you won’t finish the implant restoration.
Luckily, you won’t feel pain or discomfort throughout the entire healing stage. Most people only have these side effects in the first 1-2 weeks, after which the body will "silently" heal around the implant.
You can support healing and avoid complications by:
Dr. Landon Lowell can help you find out if you’re a good candidate for dental implants or present your other tooth replacement options.
Get your smile restored by scheduling an appointment at Suncoast Dental Center online.
Have more questions about implants? Call us at (239) 566-2255, and we’d be happy to tell you more.
