Having dental implants means that you will have to undergo minor surgery as part of the process.
This should not be something that unduly concerns you as, firstly, it is carried out by skilled and experienced professionals, and secondly, all necessary precautions will be taken to ensure the entire procedure goes as smoothly as possible at all stages.
While dental implants can be life-enhancing, it would be wrong for us to pretend that patients will not experience some minor side effects as they recover from the minor surgery that takes place.
Here are some of the minor side effects that can occur, following dental implant surgery.
Minor Bleeding
Where the incisions have taken place during the minor surgery that is necessary for dental implants, it is possible that some minor bleeding may take place. This is perfectly normal and to be expected whenever surgery takes place and surgical cuts are made.
This should not necessarily cause you any pain and is only likely to be noticeable in your saliva. Any minor bleeding from dental implant surgery should cease within a few days.
Discomfort / Pain
Given the nature of dental implant surgery, with the titanium implant screws being affixed to your jawbone, it is only natural that you might feel a degree of discomfort or pain once the anaesthetic wears off.
You should take any prescribed painkiller medication to help manage your pain, and you should expect the level of pain and discomfort to decline each day. If the pain is minor then an over-the-counter painkiller will be sufficient to reduce it.
Gum Discolouration
With surgery in any part of your body, you can expect to see discoloration, mainly in the form of brushing, and dental implant surgery is no different. In this case, the discoloration will be seen on your gum tissue which may darken, although the level of discoloration will differ from patient to patient.
After a couple of days, the gum discolouration should start to fade, and your gums should be back to their normal colour with 14 days.
Increased Gum And Tooth Sensitivity
Once again, this is perfectly normal and nothing to be alarmed about.
You may experience increased sensitivity in different areas due to them being tender following the surgery.
This applies to your gums, teeth, and even your jawbone.
You can help minimize this by eating and drinking sensibly which means avoiding very hot or very cold food and drinks and also refraining from eating extremely spicy food which can irritate those areas which are healing.
Swollen Gums
Whilst this may not necessarily be painful, it can cause some concern.
Rest assured it is a perfectly normal reaction of your gums to minor dental surgery.
As with discolouration, you should start seeing any swelling of your gums reduce after a couple of days, and all swelling should have gone within two weeks.
Facial Swelling
As well as gums swelling, some patients may experience some swelling of their face, particularly those parts of the face that are closest to where the surgical incisions took place.
You can help keep the swelling down by applying a cold compress to the swollen area for up to 20 minutes. remove for 20 minutes and then repeat.
As each day passes during your recovery the swelling should reduce and all swelling should be gone by day 14.
