Pain After Dental Implants: Understanding What’s Normal (and What Isn’t)
If you’re thinking about getting dental implants in Point Loma, Ocean Beach or elsewhere in San Diego, you may be wondering if the procedure causes any pain or discomfort, and how long you can expect it to take for your mouth to recover after surgery.
In this article from Harbor Family Dental, we’ll take a look at pain after dental implants. We’ll explain what’s normal and expected, and we’ll also help you understand when pain may indicate that something has gone wrong with your implant. Let’s get started.
Pain, Bruising, & Swelling Are Normal After Placement
The dental implant procedure involves creating an opening in your gum tissue and jaw bone. Then, the metal implant is placed into this opening, and the area is sutured shut. Your mouth will be numb during the procedure, so you won’t feel any pain or discomfort while your implant is being placed.
However, as your body begins to heal and recover from the placement, you will likely begin to experience some pain and discomfort. This is normal, since dental implant placement is a major dental procedure.
Most patients experience minor, intermittent bleeding for 48-72 hours after the procedure. Pain, swelling and bruising are also often felt along the jaw, the chin, the cheeks, or even underneath the eyes, depending on the location of the implant.
You may be given a prescription painkiller to help with the discomfort. If not, however, you can take products like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help with swelling, pain, and inflammation.
In addition, Dr. Ryan Wallrich will provide you with a comprehensive set of instructions on how you can care for your mouth, reduce pain, and ensure that your jaw heals properly after the implant placement procedure. If you follow these instructions, you’ll recover quite quickly.
Your Implant Site Will Heal After About 10-14 Days
Most patients will notice a significant improvement in their discomfort within 3-7 days. Within about 10-14 days, the implant placement area should feel completely normal. Some minor tenderness may be present, but you should not be feeling any significant pain or discomfort.
At this time, you can usually begin chewing on the side of your mouth with your dental implant, resume eating your normal diet, and you can begin brushing your teeth normally, without worrying as much about irritating the implant site.
Serious Pain or Discomfort After 2+ Weeks Post-Implant Is a Cause for Concern
If you are noticing serious pain and discomfort around your implant after 2 or more weeks post-placement, this could indicate a serious complication like peri-implantitis, which is an infection of the gum tissue around the implant site.
Major discomfort after 2+ weeks is not normal, and should be a cause for concern. It indicates that something has gone wrong with your implant, and you should see your dentist for a follow-up to have it inspected and to determine the source of the issue.
Interested in Dental Implants? Learn More From Dr. Ryan Wallrich at Harbor Family Dental!
At Harbor Family Dental, Dr. Wallrich specializes in dental implants in San Diego. He has years of experience in implant dentistry. If you’re interested in a dental implant but you’re not sure if implants are right for you, get in touch as soon as possible. We will help you get the answers you need and restore your smile after tooth loss. You can call us at (619) 786-2939 or stop by our office at 1310 Rosecrans Street., Suite B, San Diego, CA 92106 to schedule an implant consultation.