The pain that patients feel when they get dental implant surgery is actually not from the hole made in the bone or the placement of the implant — the pain usually comes from the soft tissue manipulation that occurs during the process.
With numbed nerves, you can expect not to feel any pain during your dental implant procedure. You may feel pressure at times, but it should not cause you discomfort. For patients who have anxiety with dental procedures, oral sedation is available.
The procedure itself takes 1 to 2 hours and the healing time is 3 to 6 months. During this time the titanium alloy (the same material used in joint replacement) implant will heal around and merge with the surrounding bone tissue. No other load bearing medical implant has as rapid healing or recovery times.
While waiting for dental implants, some patients choose to wear temporary teeth. These can be bridges or dentures that cover the gaps between teeth. In these cases, the dentist near you will attach replacement teeth the same day they place the implant.
Waiting to get a procedure done puts you and your teeth at more risk. Our teeth are always moving to adjust to space it has and the longer you wait, the worse your teeth positions will be.
Patients can be informed that, in general, implant placement surgical experience is less unpleasant compared to tooth extraction with less postsurgical pain and limitation of daily activities. However, some factors can increase the pain intensity and discomfort level on individual bases.
Patients are commonly sedated during dental implant surgery to protect against pain during this invasive procedure. Most patients are put under conscious sedation while local anesthesia is applied to the area of the mouth that is being worked on.
In general, there are three steps involved in the dental implant procedures. First, the implant itself is placed into the jawbone. Next, the abutment is added to the implant, which is where the artificial tooth will be connected. Finally, the prosthetic tooth, or crown, is placed onto the abutment.
How Long Will It Take For Pain from an Implant to Subside? In most cases, the discomfort will peak within about 3-5 days after your treatment, and then begin to subside relatively quickly. By the end of your first week post-surgery, you should be feeling little, if any, discomfort and pain.
It may feel uncomfortable for a moment, but it shouldn't hurt. Some people say the numbing medication feels like a pinch. You may feel soreness or tenderness around the implant for a few days.
Your pain may be accompanied by swelling, inflammation, bruising, and tenderness near the treatment site(s). For most patients, this pain will peak sometime between 48-72 hours after surgery, and will then begin to fade relatively quickly. Overall, the pain you'll experience is relatively minor.
Problems With Implants
Infection around the implant. Damage to blood vessels, teeth, or other tissue. Nerve damage leading to pain, numbness, or a tingling sensation. Issues with your sinuses (in cases where the implant is placed in the upper jaw)
When it comes to sleeping position following dental surgery, it is a good idea to make sure to elevate the head. A good angle to achieve while sleeping is 45 degrees. You should sleep in the position for the first 36 to 48 hours following the surgery.
Recovery time fully depends on dental implant surgery. For most people, recovery time is only 1-2 days. However, if you have more than one implant procedure completed, or if you need bone grafts, recovery time can take longer. If the latter is the case, most recovery times are around 1-2 weeks.
The average lifespan of a dental implant is anywhere from 10 -30 years. This means that most likely, depending on your age when you get an implant, it will last for the rest of your life. No other tooth replacement option has the ability to last that long.
The bite strength of a dental implant is generally 80- to 90-percent the strength of a natural tooth. If you've lived with dentures, bridges, or weak/diseased teeth for any period, you understand the importance of a firm bite.
If your tooth has significant decay and you're fine with the higher cost and more involved process, you may find opting for an implant as better for the long term. But if you prefer keeping your own tooth and understand the risks, a root canal can be a more affordable and less invasive option.
Bad bite – If your tooth implant hasn't been aligned correctly into your jawbone, then you may experience pain in the bone that's around it. Consequently when you bite down, the excess force may push the implant further into the bone, causing discomfort. This occurs when you're chewing or afterwards.
The chances of your mouth rejecting an implant are low, but not impossible. The resulting titanium residue from an implant has the possibility to cause a variety of reactions if you are allergic. The most notable of these being bone loss and hypersensitive reactions.
Strictly speaking, your body can reject a dental implant. But, the good news is that it is very rare. Dental implants are the most adaptable and durable replacement for teeth roots, with up to 98% of the success rate.
Many patients who lose one or more back teeth think they don't need to replace them because they can't be seen, but replacing any missing tooth is essential to keep your smile whole and healthy. Dental implants, fixed bridges, and dentures are all tooth replacement options to repair your smile following tooth loss.