A dental patient who needs to have teeth extracted may want them replaced with implants but may be scared about the level of pain involved. It would be disingenuous to state that the process of tooth removal and implant placement is painless, but the discomfort often is not nearly as significant as people might expect. An Oral Surgeon in Short Hills NJ uses local anesthetics to minimize pain, and in some instances, sedation or general anesthesia. This dental specialist explains to patients how to reduce pain caused by tooth removal, gum cutting and drilling into the jawbone to place the implant rods.
Anyone who has ever experienced a severe toothache or an earache will understand that the discomfort in this dental procedure is nowhere near that bothersome. Most patients need to take prescription painkillers for at least a couple of days after extractions and implant placement. The prescription is provided before or immediately after tooth removal at a clinic such as Westfield Oral Surgery. If they need to manage pain beyond that, over-the-counter medications usually are sufficient. There will likely be some minor swelling and residual tenderness for a short time. Holding an ice bag or cold compress on the jaw is useful for reducing these side effects. It should be noted that patients also will be required to take antibiotics to prevent infection.
Each person is different, of course. Some are more sensitive to pain than most people are, but they typically have learned this by the time they reach early adulthood. These individuals will want to talk about this with an Oral Surgeon in Short Hills NJ before scheduling the procedure. Working together, the surgeon and the patient can make sure that pain is minimized as much as possible. Patients must understand that often the aftermath of the tooth extraction is the most uncomfortable time, and teeth generally are only removed when this is essential. They may have become too decayed to save, or an infection may have set in that cannot be resolved with root canal therapy. Please visit the website to learn more about one particular dental practice that installs implants.