About Dental Implants
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are surgically embedded into your jawbone and gum tissue. When in place, dental implants provide a hold that is comparable to natural tooth roots. Using a single dental implant , a dental crown can fill a gap left by an individual tooth; with multiple dental implants, dentists can support a dental bridge, a partial denture, or a full denture.
Since oral surgery is involved, it’s important that patients not be smokers. Smoking and tobacco products in general have many negative effects on the implant dentistry process, which is just another compelling reason to quit smoking.
Smoking Slows Down Your Recovery Process
Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood, which makes it harder for you to heal. The most crucial part of the implant dentistry process is the healing and recovery phase, which takes several months. Poor healing during this time means that the treatment is less likely to be successful.
Smoking Can Cause a Complication Called Peri-Implantitis
Peri-implantitis is a complication that is common to smokers, which involves inflammation of the gum tissue around the dental implant. Deep mucosal pockets develop that slow down the bone tissue’s ability to heal.
Smoking Increases Risk of Infection
Since the healing ability of the patient is slowed down, the risk of infection increases following implant dentistry treatment.
Smoking Can Reduce the Effectiveness of Medication
Smoking and tobacco products have both been known to limit or impair the effectiveness of different medications that may be crucial to the post-surgical healing process.
What Patients Should Do If They Currently Smoke
If patients currently smoke, they should look into different options for quitting smoking. Ideally patients should not smoke for a few months before the oral surgery for dental implants in order to help ensure success. Be sure to consult with your physician to learn more about different options for quitting.
We should also note that apart from affecting the implant dentistry process, smoking obviously has negative effects on the appearance of your teeth, the state of your breath, and the overall state of your general health. There are so many compelling reasons to quit smoking or not start in the first place, so please keep those in mind.
Learn More About Implant Dentistry
For more information on dental implants and how they can be of great benefit to you and your needs, be sure to contact our Austin, TX dental care practice today. The team at Advanced Dental Implant Center looks forward to meeting you in person and going over all of your dental care options in much greater detail.