If full mouth dental implants are so life changing, why does anyone who needs them put off the procedure? Well, it could be because of concerns about dental implant surgery recovery.
While it’s normal to have some nerves about any procedure, they shouldn’t stop you from getting a new smile that you’ll be able to share in photos and eat your favorite foods with.
Knowledge is power - That’s why this article will go over what you can expect from the dental implant procedure. The hope is that knowing what to expect and knowing you’re in good hands calms any nerves you may have about getting a new set of teeth.
What Happens During the Dental Implant Surgery
The dental implant procedure isn’t actually the first step to getting a new smile. First, you’ll need to check if you may be a candidate. You can do that with this 60-second quiz.
Then, you’ll have a quick CT scan to make sure you have enough bone for dental implants. Next, you’ll get to pick the shape and shade of your teeth.
Then you’re ready for the procedure! Not only will you be working with a restorative dentist who will be creating your teeth, you’ll have an oral & maxillofacial surgeon perform the procedure while a CRNA keeps you comfortably asleep.
You won’t wake up with a set of bulky, temporary teeth like you might with a “teeth-in-a-day®” procedure. This is because in just 24 hours, you’ll return for your permanent set of teeth.
Your Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon and Restorative Team
Having three providers instead of just one is not very common. You also won’t find that many dentists offering dental implants are 1. Oral surgeons and 2. Work with a CRNA for dental sedation.
Why is it so important to have a CRNA? And an oral surgeon? For starters, not many people like the thought of being awake during surgery. You also probably don’t want your surgeon to multi-task your anesthesia and the dental implant procedure. Having a dedicated CRNA keeps patients comfortable and safe and lets the surgeon be fully focused on the task at hand.
The second part of that question is also important. You want to have an oral & maxillofacial surgeon and not just a general dentist place your dental implants. Oral surgeons have an additional 4+ years of residency AFTER dental school to master the skills required to place dental implants. Nuvia’s oral surgeons are highly educated and highly trained. Then, day in and day out they do full mouth dental implants.
Compare that to a family dentist who may do full mouth dental implants every once in a while – or worse, a dentist who simply took a weekend course on dental implants before offering them to patients…
The choice is yours.
Troy’s Dental Implant Surgery Recovery
Troy, a Nuvia patient, shared his dental implant surgery recovery experience after getting his new teeth.
Despite some initial swelling (which is completely normal), Troy began sharing about his experience just weeks later. Here is his review of everything he loved and hated about getting dental implants:
Dental Implant Surgery Recovery Time
So, what does the recovery timeline actually look like? Let’s break it down:
First Day After Surgery
The first 24 hours are all about rest and recovery.
- You’ll be asleep during surgery, so when you wake up, it will already be done.
- It’s not likely you’ll feel pain immediately because the anesthesia will still be wearing off.
- Swelling will start to increase over the first 24-48 hours—this is completely normal. Some patients don’t even swell much.
- Many patients just sleep most of the day following surgery.
Troy described it best:
"When I went in for my surgery, I met with the doctor… They put me out, and next thing I know, I woke up and it was done. I mean, it was a piece of cake."
24 hours later, you’ll get your permanent set of teeth! No bulky, acrylic temporary teeth. Just a custom-fit, zirconia set that you can eat a soft food diet with right away.
A Few Days After Surgery
Most patients describe mild discomfort rather than severe pain. Swelling is still present, but ice packs and ibuprofen help really help a lot of patients.
At this point, you’ll be eating a soft food diet (anything you can cut with a plastic fork) but many patients feel good enough to return to light activities.
Two Weeks After Surgery
By week 2, it is likely that most swelling will be going away. Any discomfort is likely to be mild and manageable.
This is typically when many patients start feeling normal again and begin getting used to their new smile.
"It was a process getting used to eating again because you just don’t have the same feeling with the new teeth. But after a few months, your brain wraps itself around it, and it gets a lot easier." – Troy
Four Months After Surgery
At four months, your implants are healed, and you will have an appointment where, if everything goes to plan, it is likely that your provider will clear you to eat whatever you want.
Your final 4-month checkup is when your doctor will tighten everything down and make any final adjustments to your teeth because this is the point that any gum swelling will have died down.
Troy’s Final Thoughts:
Troy pointed out that a difficult part about getting dental implants was having a hard time finding out the cost beforehand. It seemed wherever he looked, he couldn’t get a straight answer – until he came across Nuvia.
Nuvia’s dental implant cost and information guide is full of valuable information about dental implant cost, financing, and insurance related questions. Not sure if you can afford dental implants? You might be surprised.
Get the Dental Implant Cost Guide Here.
Should You Worry About Dental Implant Surgery Recovery?
The truth is, there are a lot of factors to consider. If you have a highly experienced team of professionals who do the procedure day in and day out, you probably have less to worry about than if your provider does not have much experience – or if you’ll be awake during the surgery.
From 2022-2024, Nuvia’s dental implant success rate was 99.13%. That can be compared to the 93.3%-98% success rate of dental implants from other providers included in a large study. So, should you worry about dental implant surgery recovery? Not with a team like you’ll have at Nuvia.
See if you may be eligible for full mouth dental implants with the 60-second quiz below.
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