Whether they have an occasional cigarette or consume several cigarettes a day, millions of Americans smoke. If you are among them and have lost one or more of your teeth, you might be curious as to how your habit could affect your candidacy for dental implants. There is good news and bad news. The good news is that smoking will not automatically exclude you from getting them. The bad news is that smoking can negatively affect your treatment’s outcome. This blog post further discusses the relationship between smoking and dental implants.
Smoking and Candidacy for Dental Implants
When you attend your dental implant consultation, your dentist will consider a range of factors as they determine your candidacy for tooth replacement. Your oral health, the size of your jawbone, your overall health, and your lifestyle habits will all be taken into account. Smoking and other less-than-ideal habits will not automatically bar you from getting the treatment you want, but they will give your dentist cause for concern.
Smoking may adversely affect your candidacy for dental implants if it has already damaged your oral tissues. For example, it can contribute to dry mouth, gum disease, and infections. Such issues will need to be addressed before you can move forward with getting dental implants.
How Smoking Affects Dental Implants
If you are a smoker who chooses to get dental implants, it is important that you be well-informed of how your habit might affect your treatment’s outcome.
- Slower osseointegration. Osseointegration is the process that allows the jawbone to bond with dental implants. Because smoking slows down the body’s healing mechanisms, it might delay or even prevent osseointegration.
- Higher risk of infection. Smoking is damaging to the immune system, and it increases the chances that you will suffer from dry mouth. Both of these problems raise the risk that you will suffer an infection around your dental implants.
- Greater risk of implant failure. One study found that among a group of more than 60 adults, 15.8% of dental implants in smokers failed, while just 1.4% of implants in nonsmokers ran into the same problem.
What You Can Do
If getting dental implants is your goal, it would be in your best interests to quit smoking. If you feel that is not attainable for you at this point, you should avoid cigarettes for at least one week before and two weeks after your implant surgery. Also, keep in mind that the more cigarettes you smoke, the higher your risk. While reducing how much you smoke is not as beneficial as quitting, it is better than not making any changes to your habits at all.
Would you like to learn more about how smoking might affect your prospects for dental implants? Your dentist will be happy to answer your questions.
Meet the Practice
New Haven Dental Group in Woodbridge features a large team of general dentists and specialists, all of whom work together to provide comprehensive dental implant care. If you would like to discover whether you are a candidate for this potentially life-changing procedure, they would be pleased to speak with you. Contact our office at 203-408-6713.