After having new implants, is it possible to smoke?
As a general rule smoking should be avoided at all costs as it can cause serious health problems and in particular, have a negative effect on your dental hygiene. As a result, you should avoid smoking, as this is the best solution in order to maintain good oral health. However, smoking can be a difficult habit to quit.
One of the questions we are often asked is whether dental implants are better for smokers? The simple answer is that smokers can have dental implants but their longevity can be diminished due to the impact of continued smoking.
Smoking can cause damage to the saliva glands, which causes a dry mouthThe condition of not having enough saliva to keep the mouth wet. If it goes untreated, severe dry mouth can lead to increased levels of tooth decay and infections of the mouth. where disease can develop. The reduced blood flow caused by smoking can also effect your immune system and healing, which may affect the lifespan of your implantA device specially designed to be placed surgically within or on the mandibular or maxillary bone.
During the process of having dental implants fitted, the titanium implants are fused with your jawbone. This is called Osseo-integration and during this time smoking can increase the potential for infection which could lead to a failure between the fusion of bone and metal meaning your implants are ineffective. Smoking may also lead to bone loss, which could eventually mean the implants will degrade.
As always if you are a smoker, do try to quit the habit and if you have any questions reach out to your dentist.
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