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The professionals at Family Implant & Reconstructive Dentistry have seen many patients with missing teeth, as well as those who struggle with the habit of smoking. If you are a smoker, you need to know about how the habit can affect your oral health and how it can impact dental implants. No, smoking does not automatically disqualify patients from getting dental implants. However, most doctors prefer that patients avoid smoking and tobacco products prior to implant treatment, as well as after getting dental implants. If you are a smoker and want to know more details about how your habit can impact your dental implants, continue reading for more information.
Cigarette Smoking And Oral Health
Research has shown that smoking or the use of tobacco products is often associated with oral health problems like periodontal disease, tooth loss, bone loss, tissue loss, oral cancer, and peri-implantitis. Moreover, smoking can also prevent proper healing after dental implant surgery, ultimately resulting in dental implant failure.
Is Smoking A Pipe Or E-Cigarette Better?
Regardless of the form it takes, the nicotine in tobacco products reduces blood flow in the mouth. This dehydrates the tissues and prevents healthy cells from reproducing. E-cigarettes still distribute nicotine into the mouth and prevent healthy cell formation. Pipe smoking is no better since it creates higher temperatures in the mouth. Higher temperatures can also impact proper production of moisture and ability to maintain healthy tissues.
Smoking And The Link To Periodontal Disease
According to research, smokers are two to three times more likely to develop periodontitis. The effects of smoking have also been linked to oral tissue loss. After studying thousands of patients that smoked, researchers determined that smoking had a significant and visibly noticeable impact on bone loss. This is bad news for dental implant patients that require healthy bone and mouth tissues to heal properly after oral surgery.
Peri-Implantitis And Smoking
Another consequence of smoking is the possibility of a dangerous oral health condition called peri-implantitis. Peri-Implantitis is a condition where mucosal pockets of inflammation form around the dental implant root. If left untreated, dental implant failure can result. This detrimental health issue can also lead to reduction of the bone necessary for proper healing after implants have been placed. Smokers have been proven to have a much greater risk of developing this condition.
Smoking And Dental Implant Failure
Dental implant studies have shown that smoking can often lead to higher rates of dental implant failure. Moreover, even small amounts of tobacco (even if it is only a few cigarettes a day) can increase the chance of problems healing after oral surgery. Why would you put your gorgeous new teeth at risk when quitting could increase your chances of dental implant success exponentially?
Stop Smoking Today And Increase Your Odds Of Success
Smokers and tobacco users can almost certainly expect slower healing and the greater possibility of implant failure if they continue smoking. However, patients who stop smoking prior to implant placement and remain smoke-free during the healing period can still achieve successful results.
We encourage you to look at your dental implant treatment as an opportunity to quit smoking for the benefit of your oral and overall health. Your chance of dental implant success and many other factors can improve greatly without cigarettes in your life. Why not give it a shot?
Will Chewing Tobacco Do The Same Damage?
The answer to this is a definitive yes! Like e-cigarettes and pipes, chewing tobacco still has nicotine. Chewing tobacco products can give more concentrated levels of nicotine, as well as a significant risk of cancer.
Contact Dr. Grubb For Dental Implants In Havre de Grace, MD
Today is a great day to get back on the path to a healthy smile with dental implants. Part of that healthy smile means that tobacco products should become a thing of the past. The friendly and helpful staff at Family Implant & Reconstructive Dentistry can’t wait to help you achieve a natural-looking smile in just a few short office visits. If your still have questions about what makes a good candidate, health benefits, or financing, please read through the rest of our website. Then, when you are ready to get started, call our Havre de Grace, MD office to schedule your dental implants consultation.