Are Dental Implants Painful?

Most patients, when wondering about dental implants immediately think of the price. Once that is settled, the next thing (quite naturally) on their mind is: how painful is my dental implant treatment going to be? The answer you usually see on the internet is that it will not be painful, but when reading reports, many patients experience pain. So what is the truth? Do dental implants hurt? Here is an overview of the factors that can cause pain, and can be a problem for patients getting dental implants.

The procedure itself

The procedure of getting dental implants is painless, as it is done under local anaesthetic, meaning it will be numb the entire time the dentist is in there. This means that you will not be in any pain. If you feel anything at all, that means that the anaesthetic is not working, and you either need to get it injected elsewhere, or you need to get more of it. Some people do have a higher tolerance for it than others, so if you feel anything, ask for a second shot.

Immediately afterwards

Once the anaesthetic wears off though, you will experience some degree of pain. The area will be sore and quite possibly bruised as well, but you will be prescribed pain medication to help you deal with it. The area will be sore, quite possibly even painful for up to 3 days. The pain should lessen and lessen, and so should the swelling.

Sometime later

After around 3 days, there should be no more pain, and definitely not after a week. If the area is sore, swollen, or reacts negatively to everyday sensations, then you have a problem. The dental implant may be touching a nerve, or you may have an infected implant, or peri-implantitis, and these are quite serious conditions that require immediate medical attention.

Factors

There are many factors to consider when thinking about dental pain. Each patients reacts differently to stimuli, meaning that what one person sees as the edge of painful sensation is unbearable to another one. Pain medication tolerance is another factor that determines how much pain you feel after your dental implant. The position of the nerves, the thickness of the gums and the density of your jawbone are all factors that can determine how your body will react.