Did you know that dental implants have the potential to last an entire lifetime? Indeed, many people enjoy decades of reliable function from their prosthetic teeth. However, that does not happen by accident. If you want to keep your dental implants healthy, you should stick to good habits and avoid bad ones. What are some practices that might harm your smile? This blog post lists five.
Overconsumption of Alcohol
Avoid alcohol as you recover from your dental implant surgery. It can interfere with your body’s ability to heal and may interact with pain medications. Once you are fully recovered and your new teeth are in place, you may choose to drink again. Do so sparingly to prevent dry mouth and bacterial growth around implants.
Smoking
Smoking raises the risk of implant failure, slows healing, contributes to dry mouth, and increases infection risk. It is truly harmful for your oral and overall health! Of course, quitting can be quite difficult. If you are struggling to kick the habit, get help from your physician and supportive friends to create a quit plan.
Poor Dietary Choices
After your dental implants are restored with your beautiful new crown, bridge, or denture, you can eat most foods. There are no real dietary restrictions with this form of tooth replacement! However, you should still exercise wisdom when choosing what to eat. Minimize your consumption of sugary, hard, and sticky items. These might contribute to plaque buildup or dental damage. Instead, choose a diet rich in nutrients like vitamin D and vitamin C to support oral health.
Failing to Protect Your Mouth
Wear a mouthguard when you play sports to protect your implants and oral tissues from damage. If you grind your teeth at night, wear a nightguard that can place a barrier between your upper and lower teeth in order to prevent them from damaging one another.
Neglecting Regular Dental Visits
Even without natural teeth, regular dental visits are essential. Schedule a preventive appointment every six months. Your dental team will clean your mouth and check your oral tissues and implants. If they notice any developing problems, you may be able to get such issues treated before they lead to dental implant failure.
Maintaining dental implants is simple! Avoid the bad habits mentioned in this blog to keep your smile healthy long-term.
Meet the Practice
Drs. Steve Koo, Thomas Weil, and William Shepard are proud to provide dental implant placement services in our modern, welcoming oral surgery office. They have many years of combined experience, and they are proud to put their expertise to work for patients. To learn more about them or how our team may be able to rebuild your missing teeth, contact our Houston office at 713-597-7340.