When you have gaps between your teeth or are toothless in general, you look older than your age. You lose confidence in yourself. You cannot focus on anything because you don’t feel good from the inside. Why do you think people go for age rewinding surgeries? Because no one likes to look old, especially in their early 20s or 30s.
Thanks to the advanced medical procedures that provide ways to restore your smile and gain confidence, ultimately. Dental implants is one such treatment done to fill the gap due to a missing tooth. But, do dental implants hurt? Well, to know that, you have to check out below.
We have discussed in detail what dental implants are, what’s their procedure and also answered another popular question ‘how painful are dental implants.’
Basics of Dental Implants
Dental implants are a modern-day procedure that restores gaps and missing teeth with screwlike metal posts, which provide more functionality and durability to your teeth. It offers a welcome alternative to bridgework or dentures that often don’t fit well when there is a lack of natural teeth roots.
A lot of people ask, ‘do dental implants hurt’ or ‘how painful are dental implants?’ which is reasonable as you must have a detailed understanding of any procedure you are planning to go through. Pain, discomfort and the difficulty level of the procedure mainly depend on your jawbone condition and the type of implant you are planning to have. Your teeth must go through a series of procedures and tests before getting this done. Despite a long procedure, many people opt for it because of its high durability.
Types of Dental Implants
Before learning about the procedure, we must learn what types of implants we have, as each has a different placement method.
- Endosteal: It is the most common type of implant and is made of body-safe materials. They look like small screws made of titanium. They are surgically fixed deep into your jawbone, taking the roots' place.
- Subperiosteal: Dentists go for this procedure when the patient’s jaw bone is weak and can’t stand endosteal implants. This type of implant is fixed under the gum instead of drilling. In simple terms, they are placed over the jawbone rather than in it.
Dental Implants Procedure
Let’s say if you opt for an endosteal implant which is drilled into the jawbone, you will go through the following steps:
- Assuming you have gotten your pre-procedure checkup done to determine your gum health. A dentist will cut open your gum, exposing the jawbone.
- He/she will drill holes into the jawbone, making space for the implant post.
- Now, if you have opted for a temporary denture, your dentist will place it over that hole for the time being until a permanent tooth can be fixed on it.
On the contrary, if you opt for the subperiosteal implant, your jawbone won’t be drilled as the implant will be placed on the bone.
Read more: How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Do Dental Implants Hurt - What to expect?
The entire procedure of dental implants can be broken down into two parts. The first is the procedure, and the second is recovery.
Obvious dental implants is a painful procedure, as you can imagine how the posts are drilled into the jawbone to provide support to dentures. You can think of this procedure as dental fillings in which the dentist makes an incision to reveal the jawbone after numbing the target area so you won’t feel any pain.
Similarly, when the dentist exposes the jawbone using a similar technique and drills a hole in the jawbone for implants, you don’t feel any pain as it has no nerves to feel the pain. However, you might feel some pressure over that area.
The entire process, from making an incision to placing implants, takes no more than an hour. Once your dentist is sure about the placement, he/she will close the incision up and the rest is just top work which doesn’t take much time.
Although you are given a local anesthetic before the procedure, your dentist will give you a painkiller so that you don’t feel any pain when the sedative wears off.
What to expect after Anesthesia wears off?
Once the anesthetic wears off, you may feel some discomfort and tenderness on the treated area, which is normal and manageable. Your dentist will prescribe you counter-pain relievers to suppress pain. Also, you need to religiously follow the after-care points that your dentist will likely recommend for swift healing. They may include:
- Avoid using straws for at least 24-hours post the surgery
- Minor swelling is normal and will continue for 2 to 3 days
- Rinse with saline water 3 to 4 times the next day after the surgery
- Avoid extremely hot food for the next 48 hours
- Follow a liquid diet for a minimum of 24 to 28 hours
- Use Tylenol to relieve pain
- Avoid smoking for three days’ post-surgery
Healing and the intensity of pain after dental implants vary from person to person. Though, the consensus is that you must not feel extreme pain during and after the surgery. If you are experiencing pain days later after the procedure, it’s better to seek medical advice. Schedule an appointment with your doctor to figure out the issue.
What hurts more Tooth Extraction or Implant?
Dental implants do sound like a painful procedure. However, patients who have done this rated the pain level significantly less than a tooth extraction.
Who is a Good Candidate for a Dental Implant?
You may be eligible for a dental implant if you have one or more missing teeth. However, that’s not all. There are additional steps that you must go through before the surgery to determine whether you can go for an implant or not.
The reason is that when you lose a tooth, its encircling roots also deteriorate. And to get a dental plant, you need to have strong roots and a strong jawbone in order to support the implant.
Should you go for Dental Implants?
If you have been considering getting dental implants, then you should book an appointment with your dentist. They will tell you what to expect with the procedure and after-surgery pain. They will also educate you on the entire procedure and examine your gums if they are capable enough to bare the process. Your dentist may recommend you standard procedures like sinus lifts and bone grafts to improve your jaw condition.
An initial visit is important as you will also get to understand cost comparisons between alternative procedures.
Wrap Up
Going under the knife is scary and overwhelming. But the good news is that with dental implants you won’t feel a thing. Or at least you should not because you will be administered a local anesthetic during the procedure. As far as after-pain is concerned, you can take Tylenol to minimize any discomfort due to sutures.
Allow ample time to heal. In four to six months, you will be able to resume your normal routine.