Are dental implants painful?

Doctor's Answers 1

The simple answer to that question is that it depends.

The truth is there are many variables that might contribute to whether or not a patient experiences pain when undergoing dental implant surgery.

Some examples of these variables are:

  1. Subjective pain threshold of the patient
  2. Medical health status of the patient
  3. Whether or not the planned surgery can be done in a minimally invasive way to minimize surgical trauma ( for eg: computer guided keyhole surgery)
  4. Whether or not there are anatomical risks near to the dental implant site, for example: major nerves, blood vessels or the maxillary sinuses.
  5. Whether or not extensive bone grafting and/or gum grafting is needed in conjunction with the dental implant surgery.
  6. Whether or not the patient is known to have a resistance to local anaesthesia
  7. Whether or not the patient has extreme dental fear and anxiety
  8. Whether or not multiple implants are planned in one surgical procedure
  9. The skill and experience of the dental surgeon

The interplay of these 9 variables makes it hard for any dental surgeon to promise with a 100% certainty that the surgery will be absolutely painless 100% of the time for 100% of all patients.

However, from my years of experience, the only way I would guarantee a pain free procedure 100% of the time is by offering Intra-Venous Sedation or full General Anaesthesia. These sedation options are commonly chosen by my patients, and there are instances when I would not proceed with dental implant surgery unless the patient agrees to sedation.

Any post-surgical pain and discomfort can be easily managed with effective medication and adequate rest.

Again, the risk of post surgery pain and discomfort is also influenced by the variables above.

Generally speaking, the easier and less traumatic the surgery, the less the pain should be.

And this may sound clichéd, but the skill of the surgeon is probably the most important factor!

Similar Questions

How do I know if mini dental implants are suitable for me?

Thank you for your question about mini-implants. I get this question a lot at my practice and I am happy to share with you and other readers my views on the matter. The use of mini-implants has certainly been controversial. The key to success for any mini-implant case starts with understanding its indications and contraindications and its pitfalls when indicated wrongly. Latest scientific evidence concludes that Mini implants have limited applications, and should be considered only in certain cases. Here are some common examples when Mini Implants can be considered: 1.

Photo of Dr Gerald Tan

Answered By

Dr Gerald Tan

Dentist

How do mini dental implants differ from traditional dental implants?

“What are mini implants? ” Mini dental implants, as its name suggests, are generally of a smaller diameter (<3mm), thus they are thinner than that of normal implants. They normally come with the abutment and the implant as a piece, whereas for conventional dental implants the pieces are separated. You could picture the mini implants as nail screws and traditional implants as bolt and cap nuts. “How does it differ from traditional dental implants?

Photo of Dr Joanne Lam

Answered By

Dr Joanne Lam

Dentist

Ask any health question for free

I’m not so sure about a procedure...

Ask Icon Ask a Question

Join Human

Sign up now for a free Human account to get answers from specialists in Singapore.

Sign Up

Get The Pill

Be healthier with our Bite-sized health news straight in your inbox