Dental implants are the best way to replace missing teeth because they are designed to look and work just like the real thing and they allow patients to enjoy all sorts of foods once they have fully integrated with the jawbone. However, they must be allowed to heal thoroughly to get to the point where they hold their places securely in the mouth. Here’s a brief list of habits to abstain from at least for a while after dental implant surgery.
Quit Smoking
Dental implants are surgically placed in the jaw where they fuse with the surrounding bone structure through the natural process of osseointegration. This allows them to create a strong hold that can prevent or even reverse bone loss.
Unfortunately, tobacco use can interfere with your mouth’s healing and infection-fighting processes because nicotine causes blood vessels to constrict. To make matters worse, the noxious chemicals in tobacco smoke can cause gum tissue to recede over time, making implant failure more likely. It’s a great idea to quit smoking a few months before getting dental implants.
Avoid Intense Exercise
Exercise is a great way to maintain one’s health, but it can put too much stress on a body that’s recovering from surgery. Immediately after receiving dental implants, intense physical activity can cause bleeding around the surgical site by increasing blood flow. Avoid strenuous exercise until you receive the all-clear from your dentist after receiving dental implants.
Skip Drinking Through a Straw
The mouth uses a sucking motion to pull liquids through a straw, and the shifting pressure can cause the blood clot forming over an implant site to become dislodged. This can expose the bone tissue and nerve endings beneath, causing a severely painful condition called dry socket. It’s best to avoid drinking through a straw while recovering from dental implant surgery.
It’s also a great idea to avoid carbonated beverages to avoid irritating the healing gum tissue. Once the wound is healed, you should have no problems with drinking through a straw or enjoying a fizzy libation.
Dental implants are the best way to enjoy a complete smile after tooth loss. By modifying your habits after receiving them, you can help them serve you beautifully for a lifetime.
About the Author
Dr. Robert Sikes earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the Baylor College of Dentistry in 1981. He stays abreast of the latest developments in the dental field through memberships in the American Dental Association and the Texas Dental Association. His office in Mt. Pleasant, TX offers general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry in addition to dental implant services. For more information on recovering after dental implant surgery, contact his office online or dial (903) 572-9720.