Panic If You Notice These Symptoms After Receiving Same-Day Dental Implants

Some discomfort, swelling and pain are perfectly normal and to be expected. You may also notice:

• Minor bruising near the treated area
• Light bleeding in the first 24 hours
• A sensation of pressure at the implant site

All these symptoms should improve during the first 24 hours after surgery. If it’s not, it’s time to worry.

Pain That Gets Worse After the First Week

Post-operative pain should gradually go down after the first week. If it’s not, or has started spreading beyond the operation site, then that's a major red flag. You should not feel a deep throbbing sensation or sharp pain upon biting near the implant site. These signs usually mean infection or implant failure.

If you notice the pain goes away, but comes back, then that’s a serious sign of an infection and should be checked out without delay.

A Loose or Moving Implant

Implants should not move, even immediately following the procedure. Even though you are still healing, your new teeth should not be wobbling, shifting, or making clicking noises.

The implants should not feel unstable when you bite down or push against them with your tongue either. If this is the case, do not keep putting pressure on it to test, as that could worsen the surgical wound.

Swelling or Discharge That Returns

If swelling following your surgery goes down at first, but returns weeks or months later, there’s a high chance that you may have peri-implantitis, which is a serious infection that causes implants to fail.

Watch out for the following symptoms:

• Pus, bad breath, or a bad taste in your mouth
• Yellow, green, or cloudy discharge from the implant site
• Gums that look red or swollen
• Running a fever at the same time as the above symptoms

Peri-implantitis is a risk following implant surgery and it is similar to gum disease.  It can advance quietly and lead to bone loss if left unaddressed. Further complications can happen if the infection spreads to other parts of the body. Given that, don’t ignore the above symptoms.

Bleeding Past 7 Days

Bleeding following implant surgery should slow down within a week or less. But if you are still bleeding past a week, something may have gone wrong. Call your implantologist if you notice:

• Bleeding that's still happening a week later
• Bleeding triggered by gentle brushing or light contact
• Thick or discoloured discharge at site of surgery

If the bleeding is very severe, go to the ER.

Tingling Sensations in the Mouth or Numbness

It’s not normal for you to experience any tingling sensations or numbness in the days after the procedure. These symptoms point towards a nerve issue.

Other than the implant site, your lips, gums, or face can start tingling or feeling numb if a nerve was damaged during the procedure. Waking up the morning after surgery with a numb lower lip or chin means you should contact your dentist straight away.

Nerve damage is not reversible. Early assessment gives you the best chance of avoiding lasting damage.

Sinus Pain or Pressure with Upper Jaw Implants

Sinus complications can occur with upper jaw implants, as the surgical sites for these are close to the sinus cavity. Serious signs you need to pay attention to are:

• Facial pain
• Headaches
• Nasal congestion
• Symptoms that occur only on one side of the face

Sinus-related complications are rare if the implant surgery is performed correctly. However, with inexperienced dentists or shady clinics, the implant can end up encroaching on the sinus cavity. If that happens, revision surgery is usually recommended.