When you first get dental implants, it’s easy to think they’re invincible. That much is natural – the prosthetics use sturdy titanium, resist stains, and don’t get cavities. Still, your new restorations could fail if you aren’t careful. You’d then have to get potentially expensive replacements for them. Thankfully, you have the power to prevent that outcome. Your local dentist can even help out. To that end, remember these four bad habits to avoid with dental implants.
Using Tobacco
You may already know that tobacco products aren’t good for you. They cause cancer, heart disease, strokes, and other life-threatening issues. Well, it so happens that they also aren’t good for implants.
You see, tobacco damages your oral tissues. This harm slows your recovery from implant surgery, leaving your mouth vulnerable to gum disease. Should you contract the latter, you’ll be at greater risk of implant failure. A gum infection would erode bone tissue your implants need for support.
High-Sugar Eating
Yes, implants do let you eat normally again. (By fusing with your jaw, they restore much of your bite force.) That said, you’d be wise to limit your intake of sugary foods in the future.
Implants may be cavity-proof, but they’re still vulnerable to sugar. Overeating this carb will cause bacterial growth, which can lead to gum disease. From there, you might develop peri-implantitis – a condition that breaks down the tissue around your implants.
Chewing Hard Objects
For various reasons, many people tend to bite on hard things. You yourself might chew on your fingernails, ice cubes, or the occasional pen. Unfortunately, this common habit is awful for implants.
While durable, an implant can’t withstand everything. It’ll inevitably chip, break, or loosen if exposed to enough force. As such, chewing on a tough object could cause it to fail over time. That means you should pay attention to what goes in your mouth.
Skipping Dental Checkups
Be honest: Do you sometimes skip dental checkups? You wouldn’t be the only one – plenty of patients don’t attend these crucial visits. If you’re a “skipper,” though, there’s something you ought to know: the tendency puts your implants at risk.
To be clear, dental checkups are a form of preventive oral care. They let dentists detect and treat mouth issues before things worsen. By skipping them, you’re giving oral problems the chance to threaten your implants.
Knowing the bad habits to avoid with dental implants makes your new smile safer. So, memorize them so you’ll keep them at arm’s length!
About the Practice
Complete Dental Care of Covington is based in Covington, WA. Led by Dr. Navi Dhaliwal, our practice provides outstanding dentistry to all local residents. We thus offer high-quality preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services, as well as emergency dental treatments. Naturally, our range of procedures also includes top-tier dental implants and other tooth replacements. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (253)-243-6576.