Smoking Increases Your Risk for Dental Implant Failure

There are definite links between smoking tobacco and several major health problems. While we’re all familiar with its relationship to cancer or heart disease, smoking can also adversely affect your dental health, particularly the long-term survival of dental implants.

Smoking can affect your mouth in two ways: first, the inhaled smoke can slowly “cook” gum tissue to form a thickened top layer of cells and damage salivary glands, which reduces saliva flow causing mouth dryness. Second, the nicotine in tobacco may cause the mouth’s blood vessels to constrict and inhibit blood flow, which can weaken the body’s defenses and healing ability.

Put all these outcomes together and you increase your risk of periodontal (gum) disease that can cause the loss of supporting gum tissue and bone. Bone loss especially can have an adverse effect on implant stability, which relies on adequate bone for anchorage.

Slower mouth healing caused by smoking also lowers the chances of a successful outcome to implant surgery. Over time, bone in the jaw grows and attaches to the imbedded titanium implant, which will increase the implant’s strength and durability. With a weakened healing mechanism, however, this process known as osseo-integration may fail to develop fully. As a result, the implant won’t be as strong and stable as it could be and may fail when it encounters normal biting forces.

This scenario is borne out in a number of research studies. Although dental implants have a very high success rate, about 5% fail. Twice as many of those failures occurred in smokers compared to non-smokers. Although an implant isn’t destined to fail if you’re a smoker, your risks are much higher.

You can reduce that risk by trying to quit smoking a few weeks before implant surgery, or at the very least try not smoking a week before and two weeks after the procedure, and follow good oral hygiene practices to prevent gum disease. And, be sure to see us on a regular basis for checkups and implant maintenance.

Dental implants are a highly successful tooth replacement option that can give you decades of service. Don’t allow smoking to short-circuit that success.

If you would like more information on the impact of smoking and other lifestyle issues on dental implants, please contact Dr. Cindy Sumarauw at 801-281-3500 to schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Dental Implants & Smoking.”

A Little Extra Effort Can Make Brushing and Flossing with Braces Easier

Moving teeth through orthodontics is more than a “smile makeover” — it’s also an investment in yours or a family member’s future oral health. Normally aligned teeth function better and are easier to keep clean and healthy.

Ironically, though, the same appliance that helps enhance future oral health can also make it harder to keep the mouth healthy in the here and now. This is because fixed orthodontic hardware like braces can impede a patient’s ability to reach tooth surfaces while brushing or flossing to remove plaque. This thin biofilm of food remnant and bacteria can build up on tooth surfaces and cause tooth decay or periodontal (gum) disease.

It’s therefore not uncommon for people wearing braces to have two to three times the plaque on their teeth. This is especially problematic for younger patients whose newly erupted permanent teeth don’t have the resistance of older teeth to the acid that causes tooth decay.

While maintaining effective hygiene during braces is difficult, it isn’t impossible. There are a number of things that can be done to improve plaque removal. When brushing use a soft bristle, multi-tufted brush, which is more flexible for reaching around hardware. Be sure to take the time to brush above and below each braces wire all the way around, then on the inside of the teeth and the biting surfaces. If there’s difficulty reaching between teeth with regular flossing techniques, consider using a special floss holder or invest in a “water” flosser that sprays water under a pulsing pressure to remove plaque between teeth.

It’s also a good practice to eat a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products and low on snacks with added sugar, a prime food source for bacteria. Use fluoride toothpastes and antibacterial mouth rinses to help strengthen enamel and reduce bacteria. Continue regular visits to the family dentist for dental cleanings to remove hard to reach plaque and calculus (hardened deposits) and monitor for disease.

It may take a little extra time and the aid of a few new tools, but your efforts will make a difference. You or your loved one will be taking care of their teeth now, while the braces take care of their health and smile tomorrow.

If you would like more information on hygiene practices during orthodontic treatment, please contact Dr. Cindy Sumarauw at 801-281-3500 to schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Caring for Teeth During Orthodontic Treatment.”