Despite having multiple tools and modern anaesthetic techniques to manage discomfort, the fear of pain is one of the one of the biggest deterrents to dental treatment. Fortunately, when discussing surgical procedures, patients find pain and discomfort to be less uncomfortable than they expected. This is particularly true of dental implants, as modern digital techniques allow for less invasive procedures and easier recovery.
What Are Full Mouth Dental Implants?
Full Mouth Dental Implants consist of a restoration technique that utilises 8 to 12 dental implants to rehabilitate a complete set of teeth, including both the upper and lower jaws. In this technique, a specialist places four or six implants in each jaw to serve as pillars for a complete denture.
This prosthesis can be fixed to the implants through screws or placed over specialised connectors that allow the final prosthesis to be removed for maintenance.
The exact protocol, number of implants and other factors in a full implant rehabilitation depend on several factors, such as:
Bone quality
Bone loss
Healing properties
Medical conditions
Allergies
Patient expectations and budget
Ultimately, the details of a full implant restoration depend on the professional evaluation, diagnosis and treatment planning
The Process Behind Full Mouth Dental Implants
Initial Evaluation
Every implant restoration begins with a comprehensive evaluation. This first stage usually requires a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan, intraoral scans, X-rays, and a review of your medical history to assess your bone structure and other crucial oral structures even before the process starts.
With all this information, the surgeon can choose the width, length, diameter, angulation, number of implants and other features needed for the surgery. Knowing the anatomy and condition of your mouth also allows the team to create customised tools, like digital surgical guides, to prevent human error and maximise precision.
Day of The Surgery
With all the information gathered and a comprehensive treatment plan developed, the surgeon can numb the area or provide conscious sedation with the aid of a qualified anaesthetist. Once numbed, the team uses a tailored surgical guide to drill the precise site where the new implant will be placed .
Finally, a custom-made provisional prosthesis is placed over the implants, allowing you to have a new set of teeth the same day as the surgery. While this final step is not always possible, due to anatomical or mechanical conditions, current advances in implant technology are allowing implantologists to restore more cases with this protocol.
How Painful Are Full Mouth Dental Implants?
Most patients describe implant surgery to be even more manageable than conventional tooth extractions. However, no surgical procedure is completely free of discomfort.
Post-procedure discomfort and mild inflammation are natural reactions of the body to the changes made during surgery. While precise, controlled and small, specialists drill and cut tissue and bone during every implant procedure. Therefore, some degree of inflammation is necessary for the implant to heal and fuse with the jawbone. In fact, having no inflammation at all could be detrimental to the indispensable osseointegration phase, which is the stage where the implants fuse with the bone around them.
In short, while mild discomfort and inflammation are expected and expected after the surgical procedure, it tends to be less dramatic than most patients anticipated.
How Can I Prevent Pain After a Full Mouth Implant Treatment?
Most oral surgeries require similar post-operative measures to provide a smooth recovery. These measures usually include:
Keep a soft, cold diet: Eating ice cream and other similar foods can help decrease inflammation while preventing further oedema and irritation.
No mouth washing or spitting during the first 24 hours: For the first 24 hours, your job is to protect your implants by avoiding suction and other similar manoeuvres that could detach the blood clot.
No physical activities the first 24-48 hours: Avoid excessive exercise and lifting weights the first few days to prevent clot dislodging and bleeding.
Take your medication as prescribed: Our specialist will prescribe some painkillers and, if required, antibiotics, if required. In this case, follow the instructions carefully to the letter to prevent interactions and maximise the desired effect.
Follow other specific instructions: Depending on the type of implant, the provisional prosthesis and other factors, the specialist may indicate tailored advice that you must follow to prevent complications and reduce post-operative pain.
Use ice packs to reduce inflammation: Localised cold in the area can help decrease inflammation and significantly improve discomfort.
Keep the area clean: Maintain excellent hygiene to prevent infections and other complications.
Don’t smoke: Tobacco is the main enemy of dental implants. If you cannot avoid smoking, try to reduce it, try to reduce it as much as you can and avoid smoking completely during the first few days after the surgery.
