Dental implants boast an impressive 95 percent success rate, but although rare, dental implant failure is still possible. Don’t put your prosthetics at risk. Implement these four important tips into your daily life to help prevent dental implant failure and protect your new smile for as long as possible!
Quit Using Tobacco
Whether you smoke, chew tobacco, dab, or vape, your dentist likely asked you to quit before your dental implant surgery. That’s because products of this type can slow the healing process and put your dental implants at greater risk of failure due to dry mouth and an increased risk of gum disease. While you may have been told that you only need to quit temporarily, it’s in the best interest of your oral and overall health to stop using tobacco for good.
Wear a Mouthguard
Grinding your teeth can put both real and prosthetic restorations at risk, by causing chips, cracks, excessive wear, and jaw pain. With dental implants, the risks are the same. You can damage your crowns as well as loosen the implants themselves, causing dental implant failure. Therefore, if you do grind your teeth or play sports, talk to your dentist about getting a custom mouthguard or sportsguard made to protect your dental implants from injury related failure.
Practice Proper Oral Hygiene
Even if you have no remaining real teeth, it is essential to maintain excellent oral hygiene. Be sure to brush your dental implants twice a day, floss once a day, and visit your dentist every six months, just as you would with your natural teeth. Neglecting your smile can put you at an increased risk of peri-implantitis, a condition similar to periodontal disease that is one of the most common causes of dental implant failure.
Watch What You Eat
Finally, one of the best things about having dental implants is that you can once again eat a full, healthy diet with no restrictions. But despite that ability, there are still a few foods you should avoid or eat very sparingly. These include things like ice cubes and hard candies. Furthermore, never use your teeth (real or prosthetic) for anything but food. This means no biting fingernails, chewing pen caps, or tearing open packaging with them, as these can all increase your risk of dental implant failure.
Remember, your newly restored smile is an important investment in your oral health, so it makes sense to protect it from the risk of dental implant failure. With the help of these four important tips, you’ll give your smile the best odds possible for success!
About Dr. Singh
Dr. Sikander Singh earned his DMD degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and his General Practice Residency at the York Hospital, PA in 2006. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the Pennsylvania Dental Association, and the York County Dental Society. If you’re interested in learning more about dental implants, schedule an appointment at Aesthetic Dental Arts by visiting our website or calling us at 717-755-4143.
