Anesthesia is a key ingredient in the dental implant placement process. With it, you might not remember much from your procedure. Without it, you’d probably want to forget all of the discomfort you’d encounter. Thankfully, local anesthesia is requisite for dental implant placement because it virtually numbs any discomfort you’d otherwise suffer through. Take a look at why dental implant placement is relatively painless and how it can make your dental implant journey memorable for all the right reasons.
Local Anesthesia
Besides a small amount of pressure, you won’t feel much during your dental implant placement procedure. That’s because at the start of your procedure, you’ll be given a dose of a local anesthetic that’ll numb just about all of the sensation at the implant site or sites. Even as your dentist carefully bores holes into your jawbone to make way for your dental implants, you won’t feel any pain.
Aftercare and Minimizing the Pain
Inevitably, there’s will be a bit of pain and swelling at the implant site in the days following your procedure. Here’s how you can minimize the discomfort and swelling:
Bite down on the gauze your dentist will give you. When the gauze becomes too bloody, replace it with more.
Apply a bag of ice to the implant areas, holding it there for about 15 minutes every 15 minutes or so.
Stick to the schedule. Take your pain medicine as directed by your dentist. Not only will the pain medicine mute any discomfort you may feel, it’ll also help bring down the inflammation at the implant sites and help speed up the healing process.
Keep your head elevated, especially during the first few hours after surgery, to minimize the pressure you put on the implant site as the area begins forming clots needed for healing.
Don’t spit or drink through a straw until the bleeding at the implant site has stopped, indicating that clots have formed.
Dental Implants in Lake Balboa, CA
Schedule an appointment with a local dentist to learn more about your options for getting dental implants in Lake Balboa, CA and Van Nuys.