Is It Painful to Get Dental Implants?

Getting dental implants is both exciting and scary. Exciting because you get a new set of chompers to show the world. Scary because getting dental implants is a surgical procedure.

It’s normal to be apprehensive about your dental implants, considering the process involves drilling screw-like posts into your jawbone to hold artificial teeth. But just how painful is getting dental implants? Well, keep reading to find out.

What Does Dental Implant Surgery Involve?

Dental implant surgery is an oral, outpatient surgery for replacing damaged or missing teeth. It’s a more permanent solution to orthodontic treatments like dentures and bridgework. The process usually takes an hour or two to complete.

Dentists perform different types of dental implant surgeries depending on the patient’s jawbone condition and the type of implant. Typical dental implant surgery involves:

• Extraction: Your Helotes dentist extracts the damaged or decayed tooth to create room for the implant.

• Preparation: This process prepares the jawbone for surgery, and involves bone augmentation through grafting. Grafting gives the screw enough bone to anchor itself on the jaw.

• Surgical insertion: The dentist makes a hole in your jawbone with a drill. The dentist first cuts away the gum, then drills a hole into the jawbone. The dentist then places the stud or bone into your jaw and screws it in place.

• Cleaning surrounding teeth: The teeth surrounding the implant must be clean and healthy for them to stay in place. The dentist will clear any signs of cavities or periodontal disease to prevent it from spreading to the surgical site.

• Crown placement: Osseointegration of the post with the jawbone takes about three to six months. After this, the dentist places the crown on top of the root so you can have fresh teeth.

How Painful Is Dental Implant Surgery?

Dental implant surgery is painless because the dentist uses local anesthesia to numb the pain. Sometimes dentists use both local and general anesthesia to ensure the patient doesn’t feel a thing throughout the process. On a scale of 1 to 10, the pain felt during the surgery is a 1 or 2 at most. 

However, you’ll feel a dull and throbbing pain five to six hours after the surgery when the anesthesia starts wearing off. On the pain scale, this pain falls between 3 and 5. Use painkillers to manage the pain, and it should subside on the third day after the surgery.

Not as Painful as You’d Think

With sedation and numbing, dental implant surgery is manageable. The recovery is largely painless, but you can manage any pain or discomfort with painkillers. Consult your dentist immediately if you feel abnormal pain after the surgery. Follow your dentist's instructions, and your implants should have a full recovery in no more than six months.

Contact Kinard Family Dental for professional and expedient dental implant surgery. Our team is here to give you a bright and healthy smile.