Pain in the Brain After Implants?

Last Updated: Feb 20, 2011

Dr. S. asks:

I am a periodontist and very experienced in placing implants and managing complications. I just placed 3 implants in the maxilla and the patient immediately began to experience pain his brain. I have not encountered this complication before and have not been able to find a reliable source on information to explain this. Can an implant placed in the maxilla refer pain to the brain? What else could be causing this? The pain is in the brain and not in the maxilla.

16 Comments on Pain in the Brain After Implants?

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Periodontist

02/21/2011

What do you mean by pain in the brain? Do you mean the patient started experiencing chronic headaches? If pain doesn't go away I'd refer immediately to a neurologist for a brain MRI to rule out intracranial pathology.

Richard Hughes, DDS. FAAI

02/22/2011

I agree. Could be a stroke.

dr.med. dr. dent Alessand

02/22/2011

mandibula, maxilla and suborbital zone are the main places innervated by trigeminous nerve. This contiguity can explicate the brain headakes, united withe a great tension.

john townend

02/22/2011

Pain in the brain? Only if you place very long implants. Sorry, but someone had to say it!!

Bob Mirza

02/22/2011

I would like to know which area of maxilla the implants were placed and which technique was used. Any bone compaction technique used i.e osteotomes with mallet etc?

Ljungberg

02/22/2011

By principle of exclusion, if none of physical signs or symptoms was reported, you would consider it would probably be psycho-somatic disorder.

gary omfs

02/23/2011

Probably a traumatic neuroma, as Dr Romano suggests. best thing is to have a second opinion with a neurologist you trust, make him or her explain the patient that the implant should be removed in spite of the fact that it was well placed. Communication is the most important to avoid litigation. They will sue if you beat around the bush because then they think you don't care.

Jaber Mazhani

02/23/2011

I agree with dr. Bob mirza, in many cases when implant are placed using tapping tech. Or osteotomes , patient might undergo headache or brain pain. So doctor please inform us with which tech the implant were placed for either exclude or include this cause.

dream dds

02/23/2011

The osteotome rapping tapping has caused this. Cant rule out a medical vascular issue during or after surgery which you have no control over. Aggressive sinus lifts can cause similar: OMC syndrome if osteum is occluded by graft. Long opening of jaw can cause neuro-muscular and TMJ pains mimic headaches and brain pain. Practice long enough and you will see symptoms you would never believe. Keep follow up and document that is all. Leonard

Amr Bokhari

02/23/2011

Assuming this patient did have an osteotome sinus augmentation I'm curious whether he also developed vertigo. There are reports in the literature of BPV (benign paroxysmal vertigo) following osteotome techniques due to disrupting the hair cells in the inner ear. In any case, if the pain is chronic I think this patient should undergo a brain scan.

Dr. Mehdi Jafari

02/25/2011

Dear periodontist, This is a typical case of what is called "Referred Pain".As a matter of fact,there is nothing wrong with the brain but the primary source of pain is the implantation site itself.Refer your case to an Oral& Maxillofacial surgeon to manage it for you.

Dr PBoshoff

02/26/2011

If one lacks the courage to respond, nobody is going to learn anything from this pain experience.This input might appear totally rediculous. It is possible, in my opnion, that the pain could originate from galvanic activity. If the patient has adjacent metal restorations galvanic currents could be the culprit. A brain scan and neurologist`s opinion is of course the way to go.However the rapid onset of symptoms could have a simple, but often overlooked cause

Aslan Gokbuget

02/26/2011

Dear Dr S., You are an experienced Periodontist.I don't think that you may have some mistake during the implantation. I think you need to evaluate patints Pycological situation..Maybe better to refer her to a Pyciatrist...Most probably the term"pain in my brain"is your patients way of explanation of her problem..quite tpical.. good luck!

Simon Milbauer

02/27/2011

Dear Dr S, pain in the brain sounds quite bizarre, I think Dr Gokbuget might be correct suspecting psychological issue of the patient. Headache rather than brain pain would be easier to accept though. How long has the procedure taken? If for example the patient had underlying TMJ problem prolonged time of mouth opening could have triggered muscular cramps and headaches.

uli friess

03/03/2011

Dear Collegue! When did you set the implants? In which part of the maxilla? Bone condensing,augmentation? How long did the operation take? Is the patient still suffering?

Jennifer Bugeja

03/13/2011

I believe the patient was referring to an actual pain in the brain area. That means the head, above the eyes. I don't think the patient mean psychological pain, but a physical one. I believe it is an insult to the patient to assume that he or she has any kind of mental disorder. The patient was at a dentist's to have an implant, and any complaint would have to be about the reaction to the implant procedure.

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