Explaining The Link Between Dental Implant Failure And Smoking
Those who smoke are usually only too aware of the problems that it causes to their overall health, but what they might not be aware of is that it can also affect their chances of undergoing treatment for dental implants. In Richmond for example, we strongly insist that smokers quit for the duration of their treatment (4-9 months) and here’s why?
In essence there are several inherent risks associated with dental implant failure and smoking and these include:
Slow rate of recovery
The osseointegration (bone fusion) process is an important part of the implant procedure and is where the surrounding bone tissue that the implant is placed into fuses with the titanium implant to create a strong platform. In non-smokers this process takes roughly around 6 weeks. Conversely in smokers this time frame can be doubled or even trebled, placing the person more at risk of implant failure.
Increased possibility of infections
Substances contained within tobacco carry millions of bacteria which can bring about an increased risk of infection to a newly placed dental implant. If left untreated certain bacteria can cause peri-implantitis. This occurs when the area around the implant becomes inflamed and a deep pocket develops. This pocket (known as a mucosal pocket) prevents the bone from healing around the implant causing the implant to become loose and eventually fail.
May interfere with any medication needed
In many cases those patients who have recently undergone treatment for dental implants in Richmond, or indeed anywhere else in the country, are going to need a course of antibiotics. These are usually prescribed to aid in the fight against infection which can in turn cause implant failure. Smoking has been known to inhibit the success of the antibiotic to carry out it’s job, thus again increasing the risk of implant failure.
The fact is that smoking and newly placed dental implants are not a good combination. For this reason (and ideally) to ensure the best chance of success, your dentist will want a patient to quit smoking altogether. However dentists are also realists and understand that many people have been smoking for years and therefore either can’t or don’t want to quit altogether. So to compromise a dentist is likely to ask a smoker to quit a couple of weeks before the treatment and sustain this until the implant has had chance to establish itself. This could be anywhere between 4 months to 1 year.
The bottom line is that many implant clinics will allow smokers the chance to undergo dental implant treatment, but in order to stand a greater chance of success, they have to be committed to preserving their implants whilst being prepared to make sacrifices along the way.
If you’re a smoker and would like to see whether you’re a good fit for dental implants in Richmond then book yourself a free, no-obligation consultation with Dr Harmit Kalsi and the team at Sheen Dental. Here you can get all your questions and concerns answered allowing you to make a fully informed decision about your dental health. To make an appointment, either visit our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk or contact us directly on 020 8876 5277. We look forward to hearing from you.