27 Jun Dental Implant Placement: What can I expect after the anesthesia wears off?
Implant dentistry requires a surgical procedure involving anesthesia. If you’ve never had anesthesia before or it’s been some time since your last surgery, here’s an overview of what you may experience after the procedure.
Most patients who get dental implants for tooth replacement will actually receive two types of anesthesia. One is local to numb the area immediately surrounding the implant site. The other anesthesia (or sedation) helps the patient to relax during the procedure.
The effects of both types of anesthesia will wear off gradually after implant dentistry. As the local anesthetic reverses, you may experience some mild discomfort, which may come and go over the next few days.
Your oral surgeon will talk to you in advance about ways to control your discomfort. Often this symptom can be managed with over-the-counter painkillers, like acetaminophen (Tylenol). If over-the-counter medications are not helping, contact the oral surgeon to discuss other pain management options.
If you choose sedation or general anesthesia, which most patients do, you’ll begin to “come around” after the procedure is finished, but you won’t be fully alert for several hours. You may not remember many details about the first few hours immediately following the procedure.
Your surgeon will review your options for sedation or anesthesia with you and give you any necessary pre- and post-operative instructions. If you are having sedation or anesthesia, you will need to make arrangements for a responsible adult to escort you home from the appointment. That person should also stay with you until you have fully recovered from the anesthesia to make sure that you stay safe.
Patients who are anticipating dental implant placement should ask any questions they may have about the anesthesia or any other aspect of the procedure during the treatment planning process. Our staff at Charlottesville Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center wants to help you fully understand all aspects of your dental implant placement, and we are happy to provide any information you may need.