I get this question a lot. People are very fearful of dental implants. They always ask, does it hurt? Am I going to be in a lot of pain?
Understanding Dental Implant Pain
So the first answer to that question is it should not hurt dental implants when placed correctly in healthy bone. You may have some discomfort from the tissue, but the bone has no nerve endings. So, the implant itself is not going to cause pain. Something to be aware of. If there is pain and discomfort afterward that’s more than something that Tylenol or Advil alternating can’t take care of, you might want to come back and have us check it out.
Managing Discomfort After Implant Placement
But generally speaking, when you extract a tooth, you’re pushing around and moving a lot of things. You have to cut the tissue. The bone is being manipulated; you’re stretching and moving things. But an implant placement, when planned correctly, is a very passive process because we make the space for the implant in the bone, put it in the bone, and then close the tissue over the top.
Pain Management Recommendations
Generally, we recommend that our patients alternate between Advil and Tylenol. Really, that’s the only level of pain control that you’re going to need after implant placement. So, in summary, a dental implant shouldn’t hurt. So if you’ve had a tooth removed, that procedure will cause more soreness and discomfort than placing an implant. A healthy implant should not cause pain and discomfort. Now, you might have some tenderness around the gum tissue, like we talked about, because we do have to manipulate the tissue to make room for the implant. But if after the implant is placed, once that tissue heals over, I refer to it as passive healing because really what we’re waiting for is the bone cells to grow onto the surface of the implant to kind of anchor it in the bone, and that’s below the surface. You shouldn’t feel that process.
Seeking Help for Unusual Pain
If you are feeling pain, discomfort, or soreness in the bone, definitely come back and see us go to a dental care professional because that’s not a normal part of healing.
Addressing Dental Implant Anxiety
If you’re in that category and need an implant but are scared or worried, schedule an appointment with us. Come in. We’ll have a consultation. We can sit down and walk you through the whole process of how it’s going to be in your mouth. So you’ll have no questions and be ready to go.