Pain After Dental Implants: Understanding What’s Normal While You Recover

Pain After Dental Implants: Understanding What’s Normal While You Recover

If you’re thinking about getting dental implants from the office of Dr. James Burden in Williamsburg, you may be wondering what to expect from the treatment process, and whether or not you’ll feel pain after your surgery. Let’s discuss the basics of pain after dental implants now.

Your Pain & Discomfort Will Peak Within 1-3 Days Of Your Surgery

You likely will not feel much pain or discomfort immediately after your surgery, since your mouth will be numbed and you may be sedated. However, you will likely feel pain in a few hours after these medications wear off.

If Dr. Burden has given you a prescription for painkillers, fill it and take them as directed. If not, you can mitigate your pain using medicine like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. Salt water rinses can help with inflammation and pain, and keep your mouth clean. You can also apply an ice pack for 10 minutes at a time to the cheek near the affected area.

For the next 1-3 days, you will experience pain and discomfort, as well as swelling and bruising around the treatment area. Intermittent bleeding is also common during this time. You’ll need to follow Dr. Burdens’ recovery instructions and eat soft foods, avoid physical exertion, and take things easy to ensure you recover quickly. You can usually return to work or school within a day or two of your implant placement. 

Symptoms Typically Start To Fade After 3-7 Days

Most patients will notice a reduction in symptoms like pain, bleeding, swelling, and bruising within 3-7 days after their treatment. During this time, you’ll be able to phase solid foods back into your diet, and begin brushing the implant area gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush. 

While the implant site may still feel a bit tender after about a week, you should notice a dramatic reduction in swelling and bruising, and the implant site should no longer be bleeding. 

You Will Feel Normal After Between 1-2 Weeks After Treatment 

Most patients will make a full recovery within 1-2 weeks post-surgery. Your implant site may feel slightly sore under pressure, but by the end of two weeks, you should be experiencing minimal bruising, swelling, and pain. Around this time, you’ll visit Dr. Burden for a post-implant follow up.

If you are experiencing a lot of pain and discomfort near your implant site more than 2 weeks after your implant surgery, this is not normal. It could indicate that you’re experiencing a complication like peri-implantitis (infection of the gums around the dental implant), or that your implant has not bonded with your gum and jaw tissue properly. You need to see Dr. Burden for an immediate follow up to assess the condition of your implant and get the treatment you need.

Know What To Expect From Your Dental Implant Surgery & When To Get Help! 

Whether you’re still considering dental implants in Williamsburg or you’ve recently had an implant placed, it’s important to know what to expect after your treatment. Got other questions, or interested in a dental implant? Contact the office of James A. Burden DDS and Associates now for an appointment, or give us a call to get started and see if you’re a good candidate for dental implants.