In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some basics on why pain levels for dental implant procedures tend to be much lower than people may think, plus some basic tips on how to limit these potential pain levels even further. There are several simple ways to do this, from prep and the actual procedure itself to post-op care.
At Hillfield Pediatric & Family Dentistry, we're here to offer a wide range of both family dental care and pediatric dentist services, including dental implants for any need. While part one of our series focused on pain limitation methods during dental implant preparation and the actual procedure, today's part two will look at the most important post-op areas that your dentist will likely recommend and how these help limit any pain during your recovery period.
In the immediate aftermath of a dental implant procedure, you may feel some minor discomfort or pain around the affected area. However, this should be relatively minimal and shouldn't last for more than a couple of days at most - in fact, many patients don't even experience any pain during this time.
To help limit this minor pain, your dentist will likely recommend using an ice pack on the outside of the cheek nearest the affected area. This will help reduce any swelling or inflammation that may occur, and can be done for up to 20 minutes per hour.
In addition, you may receive certain specific instructions about limitations for the first few hours or days after this procedure. You will likely be told not to spit or use a drinking straw for at least the first day, as well as avoiding hot food or drinks. In addition, you may be prescribed a mild painkiller if necessary - though it's likely you won't need to take one.
In most cases, the more serious pain that some people associate with dental implants is gone after just a few days. However, you may experience some minor discomfort or pain for a few weeks after the procedure. Here are some recommendations for how to handle this:
Your dentist will likely schedule at least one or two follow-up appointments after your dental implant procedure. These will allow them to monitor your recovery progress and address any concerns you may have. If you experience any severe or persistent pain during this time, make sure to contact your dentist immediately.
In addition to what we've gone over here, it's important to simply follow all specific instructions provided by your dentist at every step of the dental implant process. This includes prep, procedure and post-op care - if you do so, you're highly likely to experience very minimal pain levels throughout and will be back to normal in no time.
As you can see, with some simple preparation and proper care, the pain levels associated with dental implants are highly manageable. At Hillfield Pediatric & Family Dentistry, we're here to help with not only this but a wide range of other dental needs as well - contact us today if you have any further questions about dental implant procedure pain or any of our other services for patients around Layton.
