Giving up smoking can be difficult, but it's essential that you quit for at least a short period after dental implant surgery. A single cigarette might seem harmless, but even a small amount of smoke could set you back in your recovery from getting dental implants. Here are five effects that smoking can have on your dental implants. Use these five facts to motivate you to stay away from tobacco, at least during the initial healing period.
1. Smoking Damages Oral Tissues
When you inhale smoke, it immediately damages the delicate tissues in your mouth. The irritation caused by the smoke leads to a thickening of the top layer of cells in the gum tissues. This thickening can prevent the tissues from healing effectively around the new dental implants, which can increase the risk of implant failure.
2. Smoking Increases Risk of Infection
Smoking reduces saliva production, which can leave your mouth feeling dry. A dry mouth encourages the growth of harmful bacteria, increasing the risk of infection setting in around the implant site. An infection can be very painful and can increase the risk of dental implant failure.
3. Smoking Reduces Blood Flow
The nicotine in cigarette smoke has a harmful effect on the blood vessels in your mouth. It causes the tiny blood vessels close to the surface of your oral tissues to contract, reducing blood flow to the implant site. Without adequate blood flow, healing slows down, prolonging the time that it will take for your implant site to heal.
4. Smoking Causes Bone Loss
Many people experience bone loss in their jaw as they age. The rate of bone loss is typically faster in smokers, which can prevent the implant from forming and maintaining a strong bond with the bone.
5. Smokers Experience More Implant Failures
Smoking increases the chance of dental implant failure in both the short and long term. Although studies show that dental implants are a successful treatment for an impressive 92 percent of people, twice as many failures occur in smokers than in non-smokers. Quitting smoking can improve your chance of being one of the success stories, rather than losing your dental implants to infection or bone loss.
How to Stay Away From Cigarettes
Quitting smoking is always tricky, but it's vitally important to quit for at least the weeks after dental implant surgery to give your mouth a chance to heal. If you're not sure you can manage to stay away from cigarettes for so long, talk to your doctor or dentist to find out whether they can offer any support or strategies to help you quit.
Share23 June 2016
Hi! Welcome to my blog! My name is Kerry, and this blog is focused on dental fillings. It looks at the history of fillings, options for contemporary fillings, how to protect your fillings, when to replace them and much more. If you have ever had a cavity filled or if you are planning to get a tooth filled, you will find the information in this blog useful. I try to look at fillings from all angles, and I even plan to look at how to avoid fillings through proper dental hygiene and sealants. Thanks for reading, and I hope you find the info intellectually "filling."
