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Does smoking affect dental implants?
Dental implants are a revolutionary treatment designed to replace broken, damaged, decayed or missing teeth in order to restore both the look and function of one’s smile. While this treatment has helped many men and women to restore a naturally beautiful smile, not all individuals are candidates. There are many factors that can hinder one’s ability to undergo the treatment, one of which is smoking.
Cigarette smoking has long been known to be associated with a variety of oral conditions including bone and tissue loss, periodontal disease, tooth loss, edentulism, peri-implantitis and dental implant failure. Smoking can have an effect on dental implants in several ways. If you are a smoker and are considering dental implants, consider how the habit can affect your results.
Oral health: One factor that is taken into consideration when determining candadicy for dental implants is oral health. Smoking has many negative effects on oral health including bone loss and tissue damage. If a patient does not have the requisite quality and quantity of bone, as well as healthy tissue surrounding the implant site, they may not be considered ideal candidates for treatment.
Infection: People who smoke are at a greater risk of infection following implant surgery, and infection is one of the main reasons why implants fail. The tissue and gums surrounding the implant will be very sensitive and very susceptible to infection following treatment. Those who smoke increase their chances of developing an infection post treatment.
Healing: Smoking can also slow healing time for patients. Smoking negatively affects blood flow to the bone and tissues surrounding the gums and teeth, which impairs slows the bone’s ability to heal properly. Implants also commonly fail because of an inability to integrate with the surrounding bone tissues.
When an implant is placed in a smoker, it is more likely to fail, but this does not mean that smokers can’t experience implant success. If you are a smoker and are considering dental implants, speak with your dentist about information relating to your dental needs and the effects that smoking can have on your dental implants.