IMPLANT PAIN CHECK
If you are worried that an implant will hurt, see how we reduce the three points where pain occurs.
Why Diagnosis Matters
Implant pain differs by person and by the extent of surgery, and we look at it in three stretches: the anesthetic injection, while the bone is being cut, and recovery after surgery. Yeonhap Dental Clinic uses a separate method to reduce pain for each stretch, and checks recovery at 1 week and 1 month after surgery.
Consultation Checklist
How much the pain can be reduced is gauged in advance at the first consultation using the three points below.
Treatment Options
We plan the anesthetic injection, the process of cutting the bone, and the extent of opening the gum separately. This does not mean eliminating pain, but not skipping any one of the measures that can reduce it.
We lower mucosal sensation with a gargle, apply ointment where the injection will go, then inject slowly with an automated anesthesia device. When palatal anesthesia is needed, we press the injection site with a cotton swab before inserting the needle, in four steps. This does not mean there is no pain at all.
We mostly cut the bone with a low-speed drill at around 200 rpm, cooled with flowing water. What affects temperature is not speed alone but irrigation, so we regard cooling with water as important as speed. The reduction in vibration and noise is our clinic's observation.
We look at the bone shape on the 3D CBCT together with the gum thickness and firm gum width on the oral exam, and if conditions allow, we place the implant without lifting the gum or opening only as much as needed. If we need to see directly, we make an incision, and for bone grafts we first check whether the implant can be placed without a graft, while doing the necessary treatment together.
Planning Points
There may be discomfort up to around 2–3 days after surgery, and it often gradually decreases afterward. Recovery speed differs depending on the surgical scope and whether a bone graft is done.
We prescribe about 5 days of medication on the day of surgery, and at 1 week we check changes in the wound, pain, and swelling, and at 1 month we check healing and any abnormal findings. If pain or swelling keeps getting worse, or pus or fever appears, please contact us without waiting for the check-up date. After confirming the cause by examination, we decide on treatment and medication.
If a bone graft or sinus lift is also needed, swelling and discomfort can be greater depending on the extent of surgery. Yeonhap Dental Clinic does not skip necessary treatment, and explains the expected course in advance to fit the surgical method and scope. The approach and conditions are explained in our sinus lift guide.
Before Visit
If you tell us the points below, at the first consultation we will explain together the anesthesia method and the expected incision and bone graft range.
Anesthesia: We use gargle anesthesia, topical ointment anesthesia, and an automated anesthesia device as the basics, and for sensitive areas such as the palate, we add pressure with a cotton swab. For infiltration anesthesia we use articaine. This does not mean there is no pain at all. Drill: We mostly cut with a low-speed drill at around 200 rpm, cooled with flowing water. We also use a thin special drill, so low speed does not necessarily lengthen the surgery. Incision and bone graft: We look at the bone on the 3D CBCT and the gums on the oral exam together, and if conditions allow we place the implant flapless or with a minimal incision, and make an incision if we need to see directly. For bone grafts, we first look for a site where the implant can be placed without a graft, and if necessary, do it on the same day as placement. Post-surgery checks: We prescribe about 5 days of medication on the day, and check recovery at 1 week and 1 month. If pain or swelling worsens, or there is pus or fever, please contact us even before the check-up date.
In a meta-analysis of 36 studies, articaine had a faster onset and longer duration of infiltration anesthesia than lidocaine but no difference in success rate (Gong 2026), and the odds of successful pulpal anesthesia were higher (Brandt 2011). In a bovine bone experiment, irrigation rather than speed determined temperature, and irrigated 200 rpm did not reach the critical temperature (Paeßens 2025). The anesthesia studies did not target implant surgery alone, and the drill study was a laboratory study, so neither directly verifies pain reduction across our whole procedure. For this reason, Yeonhap Dental Clinic explains the anesthesia method and the expected incision and bone graft range before surgery, adjusts treatment according to the condition confirmed during surgery, and checks recovery at 1 week and 1 month after surgery. Rather than promising that it will not hurt, what Yeonhap Dental Clinic does is not skip any one of the things that can reduce discomfort. References: Gong 2026, meta-analysis of articaine versus lidocaine in dental anesthesia · Brandt 2011, meta-analysis of the effect of articaine on pulpal anesthesia · Paeßens 2025, heat experiment in implant osteotomy Treatment results may vary by individual oral condition.
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