7th May 2021

Patient Faq: Do Dental Implants Hurt?

When discussing dental implants, one of the first questions prospective patients ask is: “do dental implants hurt” The fear of pain is a common reason for putting off enquiring about dental implant treatments, and it can also prevent patients from going ahead with treatment, even after their initial consultation.

Let us start by reassuring you: dental implants aren’t painful. Obviously, every person’s pain threshold is unique, and every procedure will be different. That said, the majority of our patients report slight discomfort, but nothing that cannot be managed with over the counter pain medicine.

The dental implant procedure involves making a small incision in your gum and placing an implant into the jawbone. An implant is placed in the bone and an abutment is placed on the implant. This abutment will later hold the prosthetic tooth in place. In the case of All-on-4 (also know as Same Day Smiles), this can all be done in one day, so you won’t have to wait between appointments.

So, do dental implants hurt?

You will be under a local anaesthetic during the procedure, so you shouldn’t feel any pain. You may feel pressure, but it’s important that you can distinguish between pain and pressure. While pressure might feel strange or uncomfortable, it’s only pain that your dentist can prevent. It helps to remember that the bone in your jaw does not have any pain receptors. Our patients often report to us that their dental implant procedure was quite comfortable. In the case of individual implants particularly, after being administered local anaesthetic their experience in the dental chair is often comparable to having a routine filling.

What about the recovery?

After the procedure, you will be able to sit in our recovery suite until you feel ready to go home. We would recommend having someone to drive you home if you have opted for full sedation as you may still be feeling the effects of the general anaesthetic. If you have a local anaesthetic, you will be fine to drive after your appointment. You should expect to have a little discomfort after the procedure, but this will be no different to any other kind of dental work, such as a dental extraction. We recommend taking over the counter pain medication such as ibuprofen or paracetamol before the local anaesthetic wears off. If you wait until you can feel the implant site, then you may have some slight discomfort while you wait for the painkillers to take effect.

You should expect to have a little discomfort after the procedure, but this will be no different to any other kind of dental work, such as a dental extraction. We recommend taking over the counter pain medication such as ibuprofen or paracetamol before the local anaesthetic wears off. If you wait until you can feel the implant site, then you may have some slight discomfort while you wait for the painkillers to take effect.

Please note: you should avoid taking aspirin as this can delay the healing process.

How soon can I go back to work?

We would recommend putting your feet up for at least 24 hours and then see how you feel. Most people will be fine to return to work 2-3 days after fitting their dental implants, while others might be capable of going back to work the same day! This will all depend on your procedure, your individual circumstances and what kind of work you do. Your dentist will be able to tell you when you can expect to return to work after the procedure.

What do our patients say?

“I was in no pain on the day itself although there was some discomfort in the days afterwards which I took some mild painkillers for.” – Read Yvonne’s All-on-4 Implant Story

“ I was expecting pain in the following days but instead it was more a feeling of discomfort with a bit of swelling and minor bruising on my jawline which was controlled quite easily with ibuprofen.” – Read Joyce’s All-on-4 Implant Story

“I thought I would be in more pain but the sedation was very good indeed – I felt as though I was coming and going in awareness of what was going on throughout the procedure – the time just flew by and I really didn’t feel any pain. My recovery afterwards was very straightforward too – all controlled with some paracetamol with very little swelling and no bruising whatsoever.” – Read Dennis’s All-on-4 Implant Story

“The implant treatment itself- whilst I was dreading it -was actually a piece of cake on the day – unbelievable now how painless modern dentistry is now.” – Read Kerry’s Individual Implant Story

If you’re curious about the full-arch dental implant procedure, we’re running an All-on-4 Implant open evening where you will have the chance to speak to our principal dentist Gavin Laidlaw about the procedure and ask any other questions you might have about pain or recovery. This unique event will also give you the opportunity to save over £2,000 on All-on-4 Implants.

If you’re interested in single or multiple dental implants, why not book in for a consultation giving you the opportunity to speak to our principal dentist Gavin Laidlaw about the procedure. We are also offering patients the opportunity to save £300 on their individual dental implant treatment.

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