What Habits Can Harm Dental Implants?

Dental implants are remarkable prosthetic devices that can replace lost teeth with beautiful restorations that look, work, and feel just like the real thing. While these appliances are designed to be incredibly sturdy, durable, and functional, certain bad habits can damage them and the tissues supporting them, which leads to their early failure. Here’s a brief overview of a few common practices to refrain from after getting dental implants.

Don’t Smoke Your Implants’ Chances of Survival

Tobacco use in any form is incredibly terrible for your oral health, and it can be especially destructive if you have recently received dental implants. Tobacco contains a host of noxious chemicals, so your gums will harden in defense when exposed to its juice or smoke. If this happens frequently, the gum tissue will become exhausted and begin to recede, which erodes the foundation your implants need to be successful.

Nicotine, the addictive drug in tobacco, also has the unpleasant side effect of causing blood vessels to constrict, which reduces circulation to the gums and hampers their ability to heal and fight infections. Tobacco use is strongly associated with dental implant failure, and, while quitting completely is ideal, your dentist will probably recommend abstaining from smoking for at least two weeks before and several months after receiving implants.

Don’t Drown Your Implants in Alcohol

While it’s well known that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to extremely poor decisions and serious overall health consequences, you may not be aware of how drinking can negatively affect your oral health. Alcohol is acidic and has a dehydrating effect, which means that drinking too much can leave your teeth and gums without the protection of saliva when they are exposed to acidic liquid. This can lead to tooth decay as well as gum disease, which is the leading cause of dental implant failure.

Your Teeth Are for Eating, not Opening Packages

Chewing on nonfood items like ice or writing utensils and using your teeth to open packages or bottles are both excellent ways to seriously damage your dental implants and natural teeth alike, which can lead to costly dental emergencies, tooth loss, and severe pain. If you have difficulty opening packages, it’s best to invest in an appropriate tool such as scissors, a box cutter, or a bottle opener since all of these are far cheaper than emergency dental work.

About the Author

Dr. Alex Naini earned her dental degree at the University of Maryland Dental School and completed her residency at the Metropolitan Hospital of New York Medical College. She is a proud member of the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. Her office in Vienna offers general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry as well as dental implants. To schedule your dental implant consultation, contact her office online or dial (703) 827-8282.