Everyone knows that smoking can have negative effects on oral health, but quitting can be extremely difficult, and tobacco users don’t want to miss out on life because they smoke. If you’re looking into replacing some missing teeth, dental implants are a great option. However, if you’re also a smoker, that could affect the chances of success for this procedure. If you’re wondering how the two will interact, here’s a quick guide that should answer all your questions.
Can I Smoke and Get Dental Implants?
Short answer: it’s not a good idea. The most common time a dental implant can fail is when your implant is going through what’s called “osseointegration.” This is the technical term for the process where the jawbone heals around the metal implant post, securing it in place. Smoking can reduce the mouth’s capacity to heal, slowing down the process of osseointegration. That means a greater chance for infection and the post having more of a potential to come loose.
Can I Smoke After Getting Dental Implants?
Tobacco use after osseointegration isn’t quite as likely to lead to failure, but it can still cause a host of issues. The most prominent is that smoking can contribute to a loss of bone tissue, which can weaken the foundation that your implant is sitting on. It doesn’t help that most people who get dental implants already have some bone loss where their old teeth used to be. This is especially true if they’ve had dentures for a few years before they switched to implants.
If I Still Want Dental Implants, What Should I Do?
Obviously, the best thing to do is quit. If you feel like you can’t go cold turkey, talk to your dentist about nicotine replacement solutions that won’t prevent your implants from healing. Gum and lozenges can break the seal on an implant, so they’re probably the wrong way to go. If you don’t think you’ll be able to stop entirely, at least try quitting for one week before and two weeks after your procedure. While not as good as quitting completely, you’ll at least give your implants time to settle into place.
Smoking is hard on your whole body, and your mouth is no exception. If you want to have the best smile possible, quitting is the way to go. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it alone; your dentist wants to see you succeed and will do whatever they can to support you.
About Our Practice
Sage Dental Care incorporates the most advanced technologies into all the services we provide, ensuring that every patient gets the best dental care possible. The quality of our tooth replacement services is second to none, with every step of the dental implant process being done in-house. We also offer flexible payment options so we can offer everyone the treatments that they need at an affordable price. If you have any questions about dental implants, we can be reached via our website or you can call our north Reno office at (775) 677-0790.