In my experience surgically placing and restoring dental implants, patients rarely complain of significant post-operative pain and discomfort. In general, having a tooth extracted (especially a molar) causes much more surgical trauma and inflammation than the surgical procedure to place a dental implant. This is because molars have much larger roots than the size of the dental implant used to replace them. When we are dealing with teeth that need to be removed, infection is often present so the surgical trauma and post-operative discomfort is more. The presence of an infection or abscess also delays wound healing in the mouth. Furthermore, the removal of teeth requires a prying force to condense the bone around the roots to gain space between the tooth and bone for routine removal. This force causes more surgical trauma to the bone. Surgical dental implant placement requires a very small incision in the tissue and a small hole to be drilled in the bone prior to the installation of the implant. Periodontal tissue responds well to this procedure and we rarely hear of anything other than minor post-operative discomfort. I always tell patients that need dental implants that the procedure to remove the teeth is far more involved than the minor surgical procedure to place an implant. A low dose over the counter pain medication such as Ibuprofen or Tylenol is almost always sufficient to curb the minor post-operative discomfort after surgical dental implant placement.
Our Treatment Approach
To reduce post operative discomfort and complications we use the latest technology to plan and place dental implants. Our office uses Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) to 3-dimensionally analyze each patients specific concern. This technology helps us visualize important anatomy, limitations, and bone density-critical components of successful implant therapy. We use computer software to digitally plan our implant cases for the best longer term prognosis and cosmetics because we can simulate the desired outcome before the procedure.
Our Surgical and Restorative Components
Our office uses premium dental implants by Neodent. Neodent implants have been hugely successful in literature as well as in our office. Neodent makes both a conventional titanium alloy dental implant and a metal free zirconia implant and we are proud to offer both varieties to our patients. Our office only uses factory manufactured dental implant restorative components.
