Sillim-dong Dental Clinic - If You Feel Pain When Chewing With an Implant

Hello. I am Kang Dong-ho, the chief director of Yonsei Uline Dental Clinic, Sillim-dong branch, near Sillim Station in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu.

There are people who experience a sudden, sharp pain the moment they chew something hard while using an implant, such as cartilage or chewy bones.

However, in some cases, the pain goes away after a while and they feel fine, so many people worry, wondering, “Is something wrong?”

This kind of situation often occurs when not much time has passed since the implant was placed, especially within one year after treatment is completed.

On the surface, the tooth-shaped restoration may already be in place and the treatment may look finished, but in reality, it may still be a period when the bone and implant need more time to become fully firm and stable.

Implants usually have the prosthetic placed and treatment completed a few months after placement. For about one year after that point, it is still difficult to consider the area completely “safe.”

The likelihood is not high, but it is a period when problems can arise if strong force is applied.

In particular, the moment you casually bite into tough or hard food with force, a sudden impact can be placed on the bone around the implant, which can cause pain.

Simply put, this is similar to a situation where the bone receives a micro-impact, or where the bone is momentarily under stress.

At that time, the bond between the implant and the bone may be slightly disturbed, or the bone itself may undergo a minor deformation, which can irritate the nerves and cause pain.

However, if the implant itself does not actually become loose at this stage, and the pain gradually decreases afterward, in most cases recovery happens without any major problem.

The body has essentially sent a warning signal, and if you then use the area carefully, it often remains stable.

There is, however, one important criterion.

After the pain, does the implant become loose or not?

If there is only pain and no looseness, it is often possible to use it carefully and observe the progress.

But if the implant actually becomes loose after the pain, there is a high chance that the bond has already been broken, so you need to visit the dentist promptly.

At the dental clinic, this is distinguished by directly checking for looseness and evaluating the condition through X-ray images.

If the looseness is not in the entire implant but only the prosthetic on top moves slightly, it may be a problem with the upper screw and can be resolved relatively easily.

On the other hand, if the root of the implant itself is loose, it means osseointegration has failed, so the implant must be removed and placed again.

When this happens, patients often ask, “Was the treatment done wrong?”

In this case, it is not due to inflammation or infection, but is closer to a situation where the bond was physically broken because a greater-than-expected force was applied to bone that had not yet become fully firm.

In other words, it is better understood as a situation that can happen sufficiently during the recovery process rather than as anyone’s fault.

That is why, after implant treatment, usage habits for a certain period are very important.

In particular, for at least about 3 to 6 months from right after treatment is completed, it is better to avoid foods that are too hard or too chewy.

Regular meals are fine, but hard and chewy foods such as cartilage, dried squid, and nuts are safer to avoid in the early stage.

Another important point is that the upper jaw has softer bone than the lower jaw, so these problems occur more often in the upper jaw.

Extra caution is especially needed if bone grafting or sinus lifting was performed.

To summarize, if you had a momentary pain while using an implant but there is no looseness, there are many cases where you do not need to worry too much.

However, for peace of mind, it is a good idea to get checked once, and then use the area more carefully for about 2 to 3 months afterward.

On the other hand, if you feel looseness after the pain, you should visit the dental clinic immediately without delay.

With implants, not only the treatment itself but also the habits you have after treatment often determine the outcome.

If you take good care of the area during the early stage, you can use it much more stably and for a longer time.

This has been Yonsei Uline Dental Clinic in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu.