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Is smoking bad for dental implants? Fremont, CA

Is smoking bad for dental implants?

The answer is YES.

As you are probably aware, smoking is a bad habit not only for the overall health of your body, but also for your oral health. If you are a smoker looking into getting SF dental implants at Center for Implant Dentistry in Fremont, we want to help you understand how smoking affects your chances of having successful dental implant surgery. If you’re going to invest your money and time into a dental implant procedure, we want you to have the best results possible. It starts with you and making the choice to quit smoking overall.

What are the negative effects of smoking with dental implants?

  • Smokers have a high failure rate of dental implants.
  • Smokers who undergo dental implant surgery are more susceptible to bacterial infections.
  • Bone graft success rate is lower for smokers. However, not all dental implant patients require bone grafts.
  • After surgery, smokers have a higher rate of developing peri-implantitis, an infectious disease that causes inflammation of the gum and the bone structure around a dental implant.
  • Nicotine in cigarette smoke reduces blood flow to soft issues, which can make it difficult for the mouth to heal properly post-surgery
  • Cigarette smoke in the mouth damages the salivary glands, increases the risk of developing gum disease, and increases the loss of bone within the jaw.

How can I increase my chances of successful dental implant surgery?

Quit smoking 2 weeks BEFORE surgery. Avoid smoking for two weeks prior to dental implant surgery to help minimize the risk of complications.

Avoid smoking for at least 8 weeks AFTER surgery. While the mouth is healing, you must avoid smoking or you risk causing the titanium implant to not attach successfully to the bone.

At Center for Implant Dentistry, we have had smoking patients have successful dental implant surgeries as long as they stopped smoking for the recommending time periods. For more information or to schedule a FREE consultation with CT scan, please call 510-574-0496.