I had not idea dental implant surgery would be so terrible. My implant dentist made it sounds like a routine thing that wouldn’t interfere with my everyday life. But, I am a wreck. I feel like I was hit by a truck.
Surgery day wasn’t too bad because I was sedated and don’t really remember much. However, I am so out of it and am so unbelievably sore. There is no way I can go back to work tomorrow. I wish the dentist would have better prepared me for how I would feel.
Or is it possible that something went wrong during the placement of the dental implant? My face is bruised and the pain is tolerable, but way worse than I anticipated. Should I be concerned that there will be problems with the dental implant?
-Mike in Texas
Mike,
Unfortunately, it is difficult to prepare patients with how they may respond to dental implant surgery. Every individual tolerates oral surgery differently. Some bruising on the face isn’t abnormal or a sign to anything more serious at this point. Also, bruising isn’t an indication to the success of the dental implant placement. So, try not to worry about that for now.
If the swelling and post-operative pain doesn’t begin improving after three days, there may be something more going on. Sometimes, it can take the better part of a week to be feeling back to normal. At this point, try to rest and it sounds like you may need to stay home from work for a day or two.
If these post-operative symptoms don’t improve after several days, it may be a sign of something more. If there is any severe pain at the surgical site, fever or any pus, it may be a sign of infection. So, you would want to get back in to see your implant dentist immediately at that point.
Your overall health is typically a good indicator as to how quickly you will recover after surgery. For example, smokers heal more slowly. It is recommended to avoid smoking during the healing process. Also, if you were administered antibiotics, it is important to keep up on those until the medication is complete. Plenty of rest, fluids and healthy, soft foods is best for the time being.
Thank you for your question. Hopefully, you will be on the mend in no time. However, at this time it doesn’t sound like you should be too worried.
This post is sponsored by Barrington cosmetic dentist James T. Gavrilos, DDS.