Health

Can Smoking Negatively Affect Your Implants in Manhasset?

A lot of people in Manhasset have missing teeth. Thankfully, dental implants can effectively fix this problem. Dental implants manhasset offer many benefits over other options such as dentures or dental bridges. But as with other dental treatments, implants must be taken care and there are things you must avoid to maintain their durability. 

Although dental implants can effectively restore your teeth and smile, they may require you to let go of your smoking habit. Dental implants are not cheap, so you won’t want to pay a lot for a procedure that will only fail because of something you do.

Dental Implants and Smoking

Smoking impacts your implants. Whenever you inhale when you smoke the nicotine restricts the flow of blood to your gums. This will weaken your immune system, making it hard to heal. 

Since your implants are surgically placed in your jawbone and require making gum incisions, osseointegration must take place, so the implants will fuse with your jawbone and surrounding tissues. But smoking can delay this process and increases your risk of infection and implant failure. 

Moreover, smoking impacts the production of saliva, causing dry mouth. Having lots of salivae helps wash away food and debris as well as prevents extended acid attacks on the enamel of your tooth. Without enough amounts of saliva in your mouth, you could develop tooth decay and gum disease, which weakens the bone that holds your implant in place. 

Reducing the Risk of Complications

To ensure the success of your dental implant procedure, here are steps you can take:

  • Stop smoking. Not smoking will improve your health and lower the risk of your implant failing. If you cannot commit to quitting permanently, you should quit a week before the surgery and two to five months after the implant procedure. 
  • Maintain good oral hygiene. After the implant procedure, you must take oral hygiene more seriously than ever. Those who smoke cigarettes tend to carry thousands of chemicals and inhale live tobacco bacteria that can weaken your implants. Thus, you need to brush your teeth after you smoke and after each meal. 
  • Visit your dentist regularly. Dental visits are particularly essential for people who smoke. The dentist can detect implant changes and address issues to prevent failure. Also, they can clean your teeth thoroughly to avoid issues that can compromise the integrity of your implants. Your dentist will regularly provide you with helpful advice to keep your implant in perfect shape.