Wondering what the recovery period is like if you’re getting dental implant surgery in Scottsdale soon? Although the dental implant procedure is relatively straightforward and minimally invasive, there is a brief recovery period after your “new teeth” are installed. However, with good oral hygiene and taking any medications as prescribed, your dental implant experience will probably be easier than you expected.
Does the Dental Implant Procedure Hurt?
The actual implant procedure can usually be performed under local anesthetic (numbing medication.) It’s just as easy on our patients as having a routine dental filling or crown placed. However, if you need multiple dental implants placed or supportive bone grafting and sinus lift surgery, it’s usually better to have the implant surgery performed under sedation by our dental specialist Dr. Sheth.
Normally, a straightforward dental implant surgery only results in minimal gum tissue irritation. Since bone structure doesn’t have the same pain receptors as gum tissues do, it results in little discomfort at your surgical site. During your sedation procedure, you shouldn’t feel a thing. And even if you decide to stay awake throughout the dental implant treatment, chances are all you’ll feel is a little pressure at the installation sites.
How Long will the Healing Process Take?
As your gums heal around the implant, some minor bleeding, pain/discomfort, or irritation is normal. But nothing more than what you can manage with over-the-counter pain medications. Depending on the type of dental implant surgery you had, you may only need a day for recovery, while someone else’s recovery period may take a week or so. Our oral surgeon at our Scottsdale office can give you a better timeline when you visit for an initial consultation.
All of that being said, if you’re getting a bone graft or waiting for your dental implant to integrate with the bone next to it, the process can take about three months before it’s able to support full biting pressure. This is more of an integration period as opposed to a recovery time.
Will I Need Time Off From Work for Dental Implant Recovery?
Most people expect to take several days off for their dental implant recovery. But that’s usually not necessary. For a straightforward dental implant surgery where one or two implants are installed, you can normally go back to work in a day or so. If you’re unsure whether you’ll want extra time off, receiving dental implants on a Friday or over a long weekend is usually more than enough to feel back to normal.
How to Avoid Implant Failure
The healing process after implant surgery is important because you want the site to heal correctly and integrate permanently. If you don’t eat soft foods, fail to clean around the area properly, or irritate the implant site, it could result in discomfort, infection, or total failure of the dental implant. However, your surgical site can heal quickly as long as you follow your home care instructions properly.
As far as long term dental implant success, it’s best to practice good oral hygiene and treat your artificial tooth the same way you would natural teeth. Otherwise, gum infections can cause the implant procedure to fail.
Bone Grafting Considerations
Bone grafting is necessary when the implant site doesn’t have enough healthy bone structure to support natural teeth roots or a new dental implant.
Our experts might recommend a bone graft or, in some cases, Zygomatic implants. With bone grafting, any discomfort is minimal and manageable with over-the-counter pain medication. Complex cases may involve sedation with our maxillofacial surgeons.
Caring for the Gum Tissue at Your Surgical Site
For the first few days after dental implant surgery, rinse with warm salt water several times a day, consume soft foods, and avoid smoking.
We may also suggest taking an anti-inflammatory drug to prevent swelling as blood vessels in your gum tissues form clots and heal. Healing typically takes a few days, and most people don’t miss work during recovery.
Clean around your remaining natural teeth as usual, but avoid brushing or flossing teeth adjacent to dental implants for a few days. Once your dental implants have been integrated, maintain regular professional cleanings every six months.
Prescription Pain Relief Medication Use
Since dental implant surgery is a conservative procedure and usually easier than having a tooth extracted, any limited or general pain timeline doesn’t tend to call for prescription pain relief medication. Rather, our Scottsdale dental implant specialists will have you take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, such as Motrin (ibuprofen), and possibly an antibiotic. For a more complex treatment plan, we’ll review your medical history to determine if prescription pain relief is necessary.
Benefits of Working with an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
Dental implant surgery impacts missing teeth and surrounding bone. Many patients prefer a specialist for optimal long-term results and a more predictable experience. The entire process is performed in-house, with our expert dentist providing comfortable sedation and eliminating the need for external referrals.
As we place thousands of dental implants each year, we can help you anticipate the recovery time and process with minimal disruption to your personal and professional life.
Key Takeaways:
- Dental implant surgery is a relatively straightforward and minimally invasive procedure, but a brief recovery period is still necessary.
- Pain during the procedure is typically minimal due to local anesthetic or sedation, and post-surgery discomfort can be managed with over-the-counter medications.
- Recovery time varies depending on the type of dental implant surgery and the individual, but most people can return to work within a day or so after a straightforward procedure.
- To ensure successful dental implant integration and avoid failure, follow your dentist’s post-surgery instructions, including proper oral hygiene, eating soft foods, and preventing irritation of the implant site.
- Bone grafting is sometimes necessary to provide sufficient support for dental implants. Discomfort associated with bone grafting is usually minimal and manageable.
- Caring for gum tissue after surgery involves rinsing with warm salt water, consuming soft foods, avoiding smoking, and taking anti-inflammatory drugs as your dentist recommends.
- Working with an experienced implant surgeon like Dr. Sheth ensures a great experience.
Contact Our Scottsdale Implant Surgeon
Scottsdale Dental Solutions offers advanced oral surgery and dental implant services. Collaborating with a dental expert like Dr. Sheth and his expert implant team ensures a seamless dental implant process. Consequently, we not only place your new teeth accurately but also make the experience comfortable through our in-house sedation options.
Find a permanent solution for missing teeth by consulting our implant specialists. Reach out to Scottsdale Dental Solutions today to schedule an appointment with our highly-regarded Scottsdale surgeons.