Sillim-dong Dentist – Pain When Chewing After an Implant?

Hello, I am Kang Dong-ho, the director of Yonsei U-Line Dental Clinic, Sillim-dong Branch, located in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, near Sillim Station.

Sometimes, after getting an implant, you may experience a sudden “ouch!” of pain while chewing hard foods.

You may be worried and wonder why this happens when the treatment seems to be completely finished.

Today, I will explain the reasons and how to respond.

An implant is usually fitted with a prosthesis after about 3–6 months have passed since placement. Even after treatment is complete, there is a very rare risk of it becoming dislodged within the first year.

Especially before the bone has fully hardened, chewing tough or hard foods can momentarily place stress on the connection between the bone and the implant, causing pain.

It may be easiest to understand this as a momentary pain, similar to the sensation of slightly straining a bone.

If the implant did not move and the pain lasted only briefly, it will usually recover without any major problems. It may simply be your body sending a signal to “be careful.”

However, if the implant actually moves along with the pain, the situation is different. In this case, you must visit a dentist for an examination.

Sometimes tightening the screw is all that is needed, while in rare cases, the implant may need to be placed again.

In particular, because the upper jaw has weaker bone than the lower jaw, this may be somewhat more likely to happen during the early period.

Those who have undergone a sinus lift should be especially careful.

For this reason, at our Sillim-dong dental clinic, we advise patients to avoid foods that are overly hard or tough for at least 3–6 months after treatment, especially foods such as cartilage-covered bones.

Regular meals are generally fine, but if possible, it is better to start by using the opposite side and gradually adjust.

If the pain keeps recurring or you feel even slight movement, we recommend visiting a dentist for imaging and an examination.

If there is no problem, you can rest assured. If there is a problem, receiving treatment at an early stage is best.

An implant is not completely finished immediately after treatment ends; early care is important.

However, there is no need to become overly anxious.

Most cases recover well, and even if the implant does fail, treatment can be performed again.

What matters is paying a little more attention during the early period.