Tackling Your Dental Treatment Plan

It's a well-known fact that smoking is not good for your health. However, it can impact the immediate and long-term success of your dental implants as well, which is why most dentists recommend patients avoid smoking at least two weeks before and eight weeks after implantation to maximize the chances of success.  Here's why it's important to follow the dentist's recommendation and a few tips to help you kick the habit.

Smoking's Impact on Dental Implant Success

There are several ways smoking negatively impacts the success of dental implants. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor. It causes the blood vessels to narrow, making it more difficult for blood to properly circulate in the body. The result is slow healing that increases the probability of infection and implant failure as a result.

More locally, the assorted toxins in the smoke cause inflammation in the gum tissues and bone, reducing the mouth's ability to assimilate the titanium implant. The smoke also blocks the salivary glands causing dry mouth, which makes it more difficult for the body to remove harmful bacteria from the implant site.

The actual act of smoking causes a temporary vacuum to form in the mouth that pulls on the implant, potentially dislodging it from the jaw bone. This is why you also shouldn't smoke marijuana or vape for several weeks after getting the implant.

Tips for Quitting Smoking

Quitting smoking isn't easy, but here are a few tips that may help you with the process:

• If the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting cold turkey are too much to bear, try gradually reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke per day or week until you're at zero. This may make the withdrawal symptoms more manageable, increasing your odds of sticking to quitting.
• People often smoke as a coping mechanism for stress, so develop other ways to handle the stress in your life. Exercising, getting regular massages, and starting a journal are all great ways to cope with stressful situations.
• Know your triggers and avoid them. For instance, if you frequently smoke while drinking a cup of coffee, maybe switch to drinking tea while you're trying to quit.
• Talk to your doctor about medication that may help ease withdrawal symptoms or reduce the impulse to smoke.

Ideally, you should quit smoking permanently. Your overall health will improve and you'll lower your risk of losing more teeth that may require replacing. Additionally, smoking has been associated with bone loss in the mouth, which can threaten the long-term integration of the implant into the jawbone and possibly lead to it detaching from the socket over time.

For more information about the impact smoking has on dental implants, contact a cosmetic dentist like Artistic Dentistry by Gerard Wasselle, DMD in your area.