Are Dental Bone Grafts Painful?
Now that the dentist has included a bone graft as a part of your treatment plan to improve your oral health, you need to know what to plan for during your recovery. While the name of the procedure may cause you to want to avoid it altogether, dental bone grafting does not have to be painful or debilitating. With the advancements in dental procedures and tools, bone grafting is less invasive. The dentist will be able to offer anesthesia for the surgery and post-operative care instructions to minimize discomfort. While no surgery is completely pain-free, most people find the pain mild to moderate and short-lived.
Your dental provider will numb the area in a thorough manner with local anesthesia prior to the procedure beginning. This step ensures that you won't feel pain. It is because of this step that the grafting process itself will occur. People with anxiety or those undergoing a complex graft may consider sedation. These measures are designed to help you remain as comfortable as possible. The bone material will be placed at this time.
Immediately following the bone grafting procedure, people typically describe the sensation as sore or achy rather than sharp or intense. You can plan on some swelling and bruising at the surgical site in the first 48 hours; some people even experience minor bleeding. These symptoms are normal, and you should find that they improve each day. In most cases, people find that they can manage their pain with simple over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, but if you are concerned about pain, talk to the dentist prior to your bone grafting. Your provider may be able to prescribe pain medication.
Often, the size of the bone graft that you need to receive and where it is located in your mouth dictate how much discomfort you feel. If your bone graft is being used to address a single dental implant, the graft will be smaller and usually heal faster than larger grafts. Smaller grafts also mean less discomfort in most cases. If the dentist used an autograft, or a bone graft using bone tissue from a different area on your body, then you may feel more discomfort as you are healing in more than one area of your body. Yet even with these, medicine and rest often keep the pain to a mild level.
Be sure to follow the aftercare directions carefully; these instructions help you heal, reduce the risk of infection, and encourage a successful outcome of the bone graft. For the first day, a cold compress will help control swelling, and when resting, you should try to keep your head elevated to reduce pressure and throbbing. In order to avoid irritating the graft site, try to eat soft foods, avoid hard or chewy items, and avoid hot liquids in the first few days. Good oral hygiene habits need to be continued every day to help avoid infection.
If you have more questions about dental bone grafting or how addressing it could work as a part of your treatment plan to achieve better dental health, make an appointment with the dentist to see if bone grafting is the best option for you.