Do Dental Implants Hurt? What NHS Hospital Leaflets Say
Anaesthetic, typical soreness and recovery tips after implant surgery, based on NHS trust guidance.
Checked by our editors. A dentist review of this article is planned but has not happened yet.
Do dental implants hurt? Surgery is usually done under local anaesthetic, so the area is numb. NHS hospital leaflets say later discomfort is usually managed with regular painkillers and should ease within about a week, though experiences vary.
Worry about pain is one of the most common reasons people put off implant treatment. This article sets out what NHS hospital departments tell their own implant patients about anaesthetic, the first few days and the signs that mean you should call. It is a guide to what is typical, not a prediction for any individual.
For the wider picture on travelling for implants, see our UK patient’s guide to dental implants in Türkiye.
What is used to numb the area?
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust says implants are usually inserted under local anaesthesia, an injection that makes the area numb. Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust notes that some patients have sedation, in which case they stay in hospital a little longer to recover. Cambridge adds that if many implants are placed under intravenous sedation or general anaesthetic, you should not drive, operate machinery or sign legal documents for 48 hours.
If anxiety is your main concern, ask your clinician at the consultation which options they offer and what each involves.
How sore is it afterwards?
NHS trust leaflets give a fairly consistent picture:
| Trust | What it tells patients |
|---|---|
| Cambridge University Hospitals | It is unlikely to be very sore after implant surgery; there is relatively little swelling; regular paracetamol and ibuprofen are advised |
| Guy’s and St Thomas’ | Discomfort is usually treated with regular painkillers and should only last up to a week |
| Leeds Teaching Hospitals | Pain should respond to simple painkillers and gradually decrease over several days; swelling and bruising are usually worse in the first three days and tend to resolve within seven to ten days |
Leeds’ guidance applies to restorative dental surgery more broadly, including implants. If you also need a bone graft, recovery can be different. Cleveland Clinic says tenderness, swelling and bruising after a graft usually resolve within one to two weeks.
How can I keep discomfort down in the first days?
- Take painkillers before the numbness wears off. Guy’s and St Thomas’ advises taking them before the local anaesthetic fades and for the first 48 hours, following the instructions on the packet. Leeds advises avoiding aspirin.
- Use cold packs. Guy’s and St Thomas’ suggests ice packs for 10 minutes each hour for the first six hours, never directly on the skin.
- Sleep with your head slightly raised for two to three nights, as Leeds suggests, to help with swelling.
- Be careful while numb. Leeds warns against biting numb areas and against hot food and drink until feeling returns, usually two to four hours after surgery.
- Eat softly. Leeds advises avoiding hard foods until stitches are removed.
- Take the rest of the day off, as Cambridge recommends.
What is not normal?
Contact the clinic that treated you if:
- bleeding does not stop with firm pressure; Guy’s and St Thomas’ advises a rolled handkerchief held by biting for at least 30 minutes, and A&E if it still does not stop
- pain is getting worse rather than better after the first few days
- swelling is increasing, or you develop a fever
- numbness of the lip, chin or tongue continues after the anaesthetic should have worn off; Cambridge notes nerve bruising can occur with lower jaw implants and that altered sensation usually recovers after a few months and is rarely permanent
- a healing cap or dressing comes loose
Questions to ask before treatment
- Will I have local anaesthetic, sedation or both?
- Do I need a bone graft, and how does that change recovery?
- Which painkillers do you recommend, given my medicines?
- Who do I contact out of hours?
For an overview of comfort across different treatments, see are dental procedures painful in the UK?, and for the longer view, how long dental implants take.
What happens during the operation itself?
Cambridge University Hospitals’ patient leaflet, adapted from British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons material, describes the steps. Once the local anaesthetic has worked, the gum is opened and moved back to expose the bone, a hole is prepared in the bone and the implant is screwed into it. The gum is then closed with stitches, which are usually dissolvable but can take several weeks to disappear. The leaflet says placing a single implant usually takes around half an hour, and longer when several are placed.
If you feel pain at any point during the procedure, tell the clinician straight away so they can stop and check the anaesthetic before carrying on.
The same leaflet says you will usually be prescribed antibiotics to reduce the chance of infection, which it describes as uncommon when antibiotics are used. It recommends keeping the area as clean as possible for the first few weeks. If brushing near the implant is too sore, it suggests rinsing gently with a mouthwash or warm salt water (a flat teaspoon of kitchen salt in a cup of warm water), starting the day after surgery.
Plan a quiet first day. Cambridge advises taking the rest of the day off after implant surgery, and possibly a day or so more depending on your job. Guy’s and St Thomas’ says that after dental surgery under local anaesthetic most people do not need time off work, while after a general anaesthetic most need 2 to 4 days.
Sources
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, After having a dental implant
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Insertion of dental implants
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Restorative dentistry: before and after surgery
- Cleveland Clinic, Dental Bone Graft
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Dental surgery and recovery
This article is general information and is not a substitute for advice from your own dentist.
