The simple answer to that question is that it depends.
The truth is there are many variables that might contribute to whether or not a patient experiences pain when undergoing dental implant surgery.
Some examples of these variables are:
- Subjective pain threshold of the patient
- Medical health status of the patient
- Whether or not the planned surgery can be done in a minimally invasive way to minimize surgical trauma ( for eg: computer guided keyhole surgery)
- Whether or not there are anatomical risks near to the dental implant site, for example: major nerves, blood vessels or the maxillary sinuses.
- Whether or not extensive bone grafting and/or gum grafting is needed in conjunction with the dental implant surgery.
- Whether or not the patient is known to have a resistance to local anaesthesia
- Whether or not the patient has extreme dental fear and anxiety
- Whether or not multiple implants are planned in one surgical procedure
- The skill and experience of the dental surgeon
The interplay of these 9 variables makes it hard for any dental surgeon to promise with a 100% certainty that the surgery will be absolutely painless 100% of the time for 100% of all patients.
However, from my years of experience, the only way I would guarantee a pain free procedure 100% of the time is by offering Intra-Venous Sedation or full General Anaesthesia. These sedation options are commonly chosen by my patients, and there are instances when I would not proceed with dental implant surgery unless the patient agrees to sedation.
Any post-surgical pain and discomfort can be easily managed with effective medication and adequate rest.
Again, the risk of post surgery pain and discomfort is also influenced by the variables above.
Generally speaking, the easier and less traumatic the surgery, the less the pain should be.
And this may sound clichéd, but the skill of the surgeon is probably the most important factor!
