Dental implants are designed to look, feel, and function like your natural teeth, making them perfect for enhancing your smile and boosting your confidence. After all, your smile can have a huge impact on your self-esteem.
Giving you newfound confidence to socialise, smile, and eat without having to worry about your dentures falling out or people judging your smile, this treatment is incredibly popular amongst adult patients of all ages.
And, dental implants are suitable for most adults who are healthy and have good oral health. However, before you opt for this treatment, your dentist will have to assess whether or not this is a suitable treatment for you.
Within this article, we explore what to expect after a dental implants procedure? How painful is getting a dental implant? Getting a tooth implant for the first time
When You Might Need Dental Implants?
There are a number of warning signs that could indicate that you need dental implants, including the following:
- You have missing teeth or a missing tooth
- Your tooth has become infected
- You have a sunken facial appearance
- You have difficulty chewing
- You have a loose bridge
- You have a broken tooth or a severely cracked tooth
- You have loose dentures or loose partials
Ultimately, dental implants have been designed to optimise both the functionality and aesthetic appeal of your teeth, giving you the confidence to smile again.
What to Expect During the Procedure?
Dental implant surgery is a procedure that replaces tooth roots with metal, screw-like posts. Used to replace damaged or missing teeth, dental implants are perfect for enhancing the look and feel of your teeth, without impacting how they function.
All dental implant procedures are carried out by dentistry professionals and how the surgery is performed depends on the type of implant and the condition of your jawline. The procedure itself involves using a local anaesthetic so that your dentist is able to cut into your gum line to access the jaw, where the implant is drilled and fixed permanently.
Despite it sounding like a painful procedure, the jaw has no nerve endings, so although you might feel some level of discomfort, it’s not as painful as it sounds.
What to Expect After the Procedure?
The procedure takes around one hour to complete, depending on how many implants are being fitted. After the procedure has been completed, it’s not uncommon to experience some discomfort however, your dentist will prescribe pain medication as part of your aftercare.
In fact, you will receive a tailored aftercare plan that is designed to make sure that your individual needs have been met and catered to. This means you can expect your recovery to be as painless as possible.
Will it be Painful?
The big question is: Will dental implants hurt? During a dental implant procedure, the nerves are numbed in order to make the treatment as comfortable as possible.
However, the vast majority of patients do report feeling an element of pressure and discomfort at times. Some bleeding is also common for the first 24–48 hours after your surgery.
Possible Causes of Discomfort
It’s incredibly common to feel some level of pain and discomfort after surgery, especially once the numbing agents and dental sedation has worn off.
This is due to swelling, bruising, and inflammation which can cause pain and discomfort, however, this can be effectively managed with over the counter pain relief.
How Long is the Dental Implant Recovery Process?
It’s not a case of size fits all when it comes to dental implant recovery. This is because how long it takes you to recover depends on a number of different factors including how many dental implants you have had fitted, your day-to-day health, and oral health. The vast majority of patients who undergo this procedure recover within 10 days and report experiencing minor discomfort for 7 of these days.
If your recovery takes longer than this, you will need to check in with your dentist to ensure that there is no infection impacting your recovery time.
How Many Appointments Will You Need?
The vast majority of patients will attend approximately three to five dentist appointments as part of their dental implant treatment plan.
The first appointment is the initial assessment, which involves a clinical examination. The second appointment involves the placement of the implant, and the third is required for suture removal & a post-operative follow-up.
Aftercare
Aftercare is incredibly important following your procedure, and it’s important that you take note of the following aftercare advice:
- Keep the mouth as clean as possible
- Hot salt mouthwashes
- Avoid brushing the surgical site for the first few days
- Try to keep food away from the surgical area
- Rinse following eating to keep the area clean
- Avoid smoking
Should You Consider a Dental Implant Procedure?
Many people choose to have dental implants because they’re discreet, effective, and long-lasting. And, when it comes to deciding whether this treatment is the right option for you, you should take into account some benefits of dental implants including the following:
- Discreet
- Natural and feel comfortable
- Fixed and long-lasting
- Prevents bone loss
- Restores function
Of course, your dentist is the best person to talk to if you’re considering this treatment option.
Why Choose Boutique Dental 23?
Dental implants are a long-lasting tooth replacement method. Here at Boutique Dental 23, we provide a state-of-the-art dental implant treatment that will restore your smile with fully functional and natural-looking teeth.
Get in touch about implants today to discover how we can help you to restore your smile.
