Cosmetic dental surgery ‘linked with small risk of chronic pain’

People undergoing dental implant surgery to replace missing teeth may be at a slight risk of severe chronic mouth pain, according to a new study.

The research from the King's College London Dental Institute is the first to report multiple cases of this rare but serious side effect, and highlights the risk of possible complications following this type of dental surgery.

Ten patients who attended the Orofacial Pain Clinic at the institute and reported severe chronic pain following dental implants were examined. Nine out them said the pain started immediately after surgery, with half experiencing severe pain during surgery despite the use of anaesthesia or painkillers.

The patients had experienced pain for an average of 3.4 years before they attending the clinic; two patients had had their implants removed, which had not stopped the pain.

A pain management regime including prescribed drugs, Botox injections or cognitive behavioural therapy only achieved complete relief in one patient, while five had partial improvements and three none at all.

Six of the patients had a medical history of conditions such as depression, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, peripheral neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia.

Dr Maria Devine, lead study author from the King's College London Dental Institute, said: "Chronic pain from dental surgery is a rare complication, highlighted in this small case series, but it is a condition increasingly recognised by the dental profession. More research is needed into this condition and its causes."