What Do Dental Implants Feel Like?

March 19, 2021

Woman using fingers to frame smile with dental implants in Allen

Dental implants in Allen are a long-term commitment. If everything goes according to plan, you can expect them to be with you for the rest of your life! Before you receive them, though, you might have questions about what you can expect after your new smile is in place. What do dental implants feel like? Will you always notice that they are there? Let’s talk about the answers to these important questions.

How They Feel in the Mouth

Following your dental implant placement surgery, you can expect to experience some swelling and soreness. However, the soft tissue at the surgical sites should heal rather quickly. As long as you are diligent about following your dentist’s postoperative instructions, it won’t be long before your mouth is back to feeling normal.

A few months after your surgery, you’ll receive your restorations (the artificial teeth that go on top of your implants). At first, they may feel odd. You might even temporarily produce more saliva than usual; this happens because the restorations are foreign objects in your mouth. The bigger your restoration, the more likely it is that you will notice extra saliva.

Eating with Dental Implants

When you first begin to eat with your restorations, it would be wise to take it easy. For example, it would be advisable to avoid sticky and hard foods for a while. Adhere to your dentist’s dietary recommendations, and after you adjust to your new teeth, you will be able to graduate to eating tougher foods.

In fact, you will reach a point where you can eat virtually anything. The bite force provided by dental implants is strong enough to stand up to a wide range of tough foods, including fresh vegetables and chewy meats. This is in contrast to traditional dentures, which require that most foods be cut into small pieces prior to consumption and that the foods are evenly distributed throughout the mouth.

How Do Implants Compare with Natural Teeth?

Most patients do not even notice their dental implants after they adjust to them. That is because implants mimic the structure of natural teeth. They even bond with the jawbone so they are extremely secure in the mouth. Plus, their restorations are made out of lifelike materials that look and feel like real tooth enamel.

What do dental implants feel like? To put it simply, they feel like teeth! If you would like to learn more about this treatment and what you can expect from it, your implant dentist in Allen would be pleased to answer all of your questions.

Meet the Practice

Dr. Keyvan Kar is an experienced dentist and prosthodontist in Allen. His advanced training in dental implant placement and restoration, along with the state-of-the-art technology in his office, equip him to replace his patient’s missing teeth in a way that looks and feels as natural as possible. If you are interested in learning more about your options for restoring your lost teeth, contact our team at 214-260-9911.