Dental Implant Side Effects: What No One Told Me (But I Wish They Had)

Getting a new smile in twenty-four hours sounds amazing. And it is.

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But no one really talks about what happens after — the things beneath the surface, the things you don’t see in the photos.

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I’m Cynthia, and I want to share the side effects I experienced after getting my permanent teeth in 24 hours with Nuvia — not the scary kind, but the real ones. The ones that changed my health, my confidence, and honestly, my life.

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This is my story.

**Actual NUVIA patient(s) who may have been compensated for sharing their story. Not all those who come in for a consultation are eligible for this treatment. Results may vary in individual cases.

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The Side Effect Everyone Expects: Pain

I was so worried about pain going into this. I had suffered for years — dental infections, sharp broken tooth edges, headaches, sleepless nights. Dental pain is one of the worst kinds of pain, and I truly didn’t think I could handle any more.

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So yes, I was terrified.

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What actually happened shocked me.

I didn’t have the terrible pain I was afraid of. What I felt was more like discomfort and soreness, not true pain.

• The office numbed me well on surgery day and I was asleep for the whole procedure.
  
  
• I didn’t feel pain that evening.
  
  
• I only took Tylenol and ibuprofen to help me sleep.
  
  
• They prescribed stronger medication, but I never needed it.
  
  
• Even when they attached my new teeth the next day (which I thought would hurt), it was just some pressure, not pain.
  
  

I even flew home three days later and then drove from Tennessee to Florida to see my newborn grandchild. That is how okay I felt.

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Everyone’s experience is different — but mine was honestly a relief.

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The Side Effect I Didn’t Expect at All: My Health Changed

Before my implants, I constantly felt sick — and I didn’t fully understand why.

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I had:

• persistent infections
  
  
• digestive issues
  
  
• headaches
  
  
• poor sleep
  
  
• an overall feeling of being unwell
  
  

I’m a nurse, so once my surgery was done, it clicked: Your mouth is a huge part of your overall health.

When it’s unhealthy, the rest of your body suffers.

My digestion was one of the biggest issues.

With no back teeth and broken front teeth, I couldn’t chew.

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I was swallowing food in chunks. That alone caused stomach pain and made me feel terrible.

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And the foods I loved? Steak, corn on the cob, salads — all off-limits. I even choked on steak once because I couldn’t chew it.

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My diet became soft foods and noodles, and that gets old fast.

Now? Everything is different.

Two and a half years later, I can eat anything — steak, corn on the cob, salads, all of it.
My gut doesn’t hurt, my energy is higher and I feel well.

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I didn’t realize how sick my mouth was making me until it wasn’t anymore.

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The Side Effect That Surprised Me Most: They Feel Like My Teeth

This one still amazes me. My teeth are zirconia — extremely strong. But they don’t feel like “fake teeth.” They feel like my teeth.

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Honestly, I forget they’re not the ones I was born with.

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I never imagined I’d bite into corn on the cob again and not think twice. But I do. And it feels completely natural.

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How long did it take to get used to my new teeth?

Within the first year, everything felt normal. Your tongue has to learn where things are again, so the early adjustment phase can feel odd — but it’s temporary.

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I practiced singing and talking to help myself adapt.

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And one day I realized, “Oh… these are just my teeth now.”

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The Psychological Side Effects (The Ones I Wasn’t Prepared For)

Before getting dental implants, I was not happy. I was constantly patching dental problems, constantly hurting, constantly self-conscious. I avoided:

• photos
  
  
• public speaking
  
  
• smiling
  
  
• social events
  
  
• meeting new people
  
  
• even simple conversations
  
  

I hid behind napkins or my hand when I had to talk because I didn’t want to be judged for my teeth.

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Everything is different now.

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I smile constantly, I want to be in photos, and my confidence at work has skyrocketed — especially when I’m training new employees on camera.

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I’m much more social, I have more energy, and I enjoy going out again.

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It’s changed my personal life as well – When I smile at my grandson, he sees a real, healthy smile before smiling back. Not the goofy smile I had before. 

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That alone is life-changing.

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The Ripple Effect: More Than Just a Smile

I knew getting dental implants would help, but I had no idea how much.

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I never expected:

• my confidence to come back so quickly
  
  
• my energy to improve
  
  
• my digestion to heal
  
  
• to look in the mirror and genuinely love my smile again
  
  
• to feel comfortable talking, laughing, eating, and just living
  
  
• that people couldn’t tell these weren’t my natural teeth
  
  

The Most Unexpected Side Effect: How Easy It All Was

I had a lot of expectations going into the dental implant procedure. I expected pain,  I expected the process to be hard, and I expected a long recovery.

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But instead my experience of getting permanent teeth in 24 hours was smooth, quick and shockingly easy.

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I truly did walk out the next day with my permanent teeth. The same ones I have today.

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My only regret is not doing it sooner.

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Every day, I look in the mirror and think, “My smile is here… and it’s here to stay.”

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If you’re ready for a new, healthy smile that feels like you, take the 60-second quiz to see if you may be a candidate for permanent teeth in 24 hours.

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