If you smoke and are considering dental implants to replace missing teeth, here is yet another reason to kick the habit. A study in the Journal of Periodontology has shown that smoking can cause dental implants to fail more often than for nonsmokers.
Dental implants have one of the highest success rates of all implant-in-bone types, including hip joints and knees. Because smoking affects blood flow to supporting bone and gums tissue in the mouth, healing can be compromised. Smokers typically heal at a slower pace and have greater risk of infection after implant placement. Researchers in the study found that 15.8% of implants failed in smokers, versus 1.4% of implants in non-smokers.
To give your dental implant(s) the best opportunity of providing lasting tooth replacement, don’t smoke. If you smoke and are contemplating dental implants, realize smoking’s impact BEFORE you have implants placed. While dental implants are designed to last your lifetime, you have a responsibility to ensure they are successful and stay healthy.
