The Reasons for Having Pulsating Pain After Getting Dental Implant

It is quite normal to feel some level of discomfort after having dental implants, especially once the numbing effects of anesthesia start wearing off. While discomfort 24-48 hours after surgery is not a big deal, constant pulsating pain after dental implant fixation is not a good sign.

Why Do I Have Throbbing Pain After Getting Dental Implants?

There are multiple reasons for this to happen; let’s take a look at each in detail:

1.    Overloading of Implants

It is common for dental implants to fail if they are overloaded with occlusion force. Usually, this happens when the dental implant is used to support a prosthesis that is excessively large or if the wearer bites too hard on the dental implant.

Overloading makes them loose, eventually causing them to fall out, which resultantly shrinks the surrounding bone. Due to all these deviations from normalcy, you suffer from throbbing pain after getting dental implants.

2.    Reopening of Incision

Among the common complications, incision reopening also appears. Usually, the cut made to insert a dental implant is closed with dissolvable sutures. They are then given several weeks to dissolve. However, there are cases when the incision may reopen before the sutures have had time to completely dissolve.

In such a situation, you get episodes of pulsating pain where your dental implant is fixed, making it difficult to eat or even speak. 

3.    Misaligned Bite

Dental implants take the place of your real teeth and are made to work in harmony with natural ones. In the case of incorrect positioning, teeth’ alignment suffers, and that puts unwarranted pressure on the gum tissue, resulting in pain. Moreover, it makes way for TMJ problems, jaw tightness, etc.

4.    Infection

Although the chances of an infection after getting dental implants is relatively low, it is a common reason for throbbing pain. Peri-implantitis is the condition where gums and bone around the dental implant become inflamed.

The main reason for this is overloading the implant, which happens for multiple reasons. Some of them include:

• Dental implants that are put close together
• Leftover cement on dental implants
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Poor oral hygiene

Antibiotics are the preferred form of treatment; however, in severe cases, dental implants may need to be entirely removed.  

Tips To Reduce Throbbing Pain After Getting Dental Implants

Here are 5 tips that can help reduce pulsating pain after getting dental implants:

1. Use of Ice Packs: Place a cold compress towards your cheek around the implant site for around 15 minutes in one episode. The cold temperature lessens the level of inflammation and numbs the area, offering relief.
2. Pain Medication: Do not forget to take pain medications prescribed by your dentist as directed. You can also make use of OTC (over-the-counter) pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
3. Choose Soft Foods For Meals: Steer clear from eating anything hard and stay on a soft food diet during the initial healing time. This minimizes the force on the implant site and deals with throbbing pain. You can eat smoothies, yogurt, mashed potatoes, or soups.
4. Gentle Oral Hygiene Regime: Be regular with your oral hygiene routine, but be gentle around the implant area.
5. Rest: Proper rest after surgery is important for a speedy recovery. Try keeping your head high when sleeping. This helps a great deal in reducing swelling, promoting apt healing, and minimizing pulsating pain after dental implants.

Closing Note

We hope that this piece of reading serves its purpose and answers most of your queries regarding throbbing pain after dental implants. However, if you have more concerns, get in touch with our specialist at Riverside Family Dental for help and treatments we have to offer you. Give us a call at (586) 468-0983 to schedule an appointment.