Pain After Dental Implant Surgery – 4 Causes Of Implant Pain

Once the anaesthetic effects have worn off and your mouth is no longer numb, one of the first things you’ll likely notice is dental implant pain. It’s natural for patients to feel tenderness around the implant site and a dull ache where the implant is located.

Dental implant surgery involves cutting the gums and drilling a hole in the jawbone to accommodate the dental implant post. While surgery for dental implants sounds scary, we’d like to reassure you that most patients will feel no pain during their surgery, thanks to conscious sedation and local anaesthetic. Generally speaking, pain after dental implant surgery is more common. 

For the most part, post-op pain after dental implant surgery can be managed with over the counter painkillers like Ibuprofen and Paracetamol and discomfort usually eases after a few days. 

But what does it mean if you’re experiencing a different type of pain several weeks, months, or even years later after receiving dental implants? 

Pain, weeks after dental implant surgery – Why, how, and when?

Let’s take a look at four reasons you may be experiencing implant pain sometime after dental implant surgery. 

1. Infection 

One of the most common reasons a patient may experience pain with their dental implants is a gum infection known as peri-implantitis.

Gum infection results from bacteria being present, and in a minority of cases, this may have occurred during dental implant surgery. 

Here at No Gaps Dental, we take every precaution to avoid infection particularly, at these present times. We provide hand sanitiser at all entry and exit points and strategic areas throughout our clinics. Keeping hands clean and free from bacteria with hand sanitiser is a simple but effective way to prevent spreading germs and diseases and a practice to continue at home. 

The prime cause of gum infection, however, is bad oral hygiene. In other words, you haven’t been brushing and flossing your teeth as well as you should. Besides pain, patients may experience bleeding and swelling around the implant site.

If you think you may have an infection, then there’s no point ignoring it. The problem won’t go away; it will only get worse. Furthermore, there’s a danger that the bone supporting the implant may become weak, causing the implant to loosen and fail. If you take action fast, your dentist may be able to save the implant by prescribing antibiotics recommending a dental clean and scale, and showing you how to improve your brushing technique. If this fails, your dentist may need to remove the implant, treat the site, and replace the implant at a later date. 

2. Bad bite 

Another cause of pain after dental implant surgery is misalignment. When dental implants aren’t aligned correctly in the jawbone, a patient may experience pain around them. Biting down can cause the excess force to push the implant deeper into the bone, resulting in discomfort. 

Discomfort may occur when you’re eating or afterwards. Fortunately, dentists can usually rectify this problem by changing the dental crown on top of the implant. Changing it for a crown that fits better should eliminate any implant pain. 

3. Instability

When dental implants feel loose, it is often because there is insufficient bone supporting them. It may well be a sign that the implant is failing or that osseointegration (when the bone fuses with the implant) didn’t occur correctly. Reasons for this happening include:

• The patient resumes smoking – Smoking slows down the bone fusion process.
• An inexperienced dentist placed the implant incorrectly
• The bone was not dense enough to support the implant 

No matter the reason, you have probably been experiencing pain because of it. Unfortunately, most loose dental implants will need to be removed by a dentist. 

4. Nerve damage

Another problem that can occur during dental implant surgery, although it is rare, is nerve damage. When dental implants are drilled too deeply into the lower jaw, penetration of the underlying inferior alveolar nerve can occur. 

Symptoms include tingling, numbness or pain in the gums, natural teeth, lips and chin. In many cases, symptoms are temporary and ease as the nerve heals. However, they can be debilitating and permanent. If this is the case, your dentist will have no option but to remove the dental implant. 

Although this article has focused on pain after dental implant surgery, don’t allow this to put you off getting dental implants. Advances in technologies and techniques have accelerated the dental implant success rate to 95%. High-tech procedures such as computer-aided planning, 3D scans, and surgical guides mean post-op complications and dental implant pain are becoming things of the past. 

Should you be considering dental implants?

If you’re looking for a solution to tooth loss that:

• is the closest thing to getting your missing teeth back again
• enables you to eat all the foods you love
• restores aesthetics and confidence levels
• improves your quality of life
• can potentially last for decades
• is cost-effective

then the answer is yes! 

If you are considering dental implants to restore your smile, why not book a consultation with the friendly, experienced team at a No Gaps Dental clinic near you. We can explain the dental implant procedure in more depth to allay any fears you may have. 

We have 15 dental clinics conveniently located in and around the Sydney metro equipped with modern facilities, the latest technologies, and proven reliable brands. So, what are you waiting for? 

Give No Gaps Dental a call today on (02) 8806 0227 or use our online booking system. We look forward to putting a smile on your face.

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.