Frequent smokers with artificial teeth will now have more reasons to break the habit. A study revealed that smoking might cause dental implants to fail even if people take great pains to maintain proper oral hygiene.

1. Smoking Puts Dental
Implants at Risk

2. Frequent smokers with artificial teeth will now have more reasons to break the habit. A
study revealed that smoking might cause dental implants to fail even if people take great
pains to maintain proper oral hygiene.
Smoking and Dental Implants
A study from the University of Murcia revealed that smoking increases the risk of infection
and slows down recovery after dental treatments. Furthermore, dental implants will most
likely fail in smokers.
To prove it, researchers observed smoking and non-smoking dental implant patients and
monitored their progress for 5 years. They found that the rate of dental implant failure is
higher for smokers (15.8%) than nonsmokers (1.4%). The smokers group had 15 failures
and a success rate of 84.2% while the nonsmokers group had only one failure and a success
rate of 98.6%.
How it happens
The smoke burns the oral tissues and
produces keratosis or the thickening of the
skin cells’ top layer. It causes dry mouth,
thus increasing the risk of infection. Nicotine
and its by-products reduce blood flow to the
areas they supply, which affects the healing
capabilities of gums and bones.
As a result, chain smokers have higher risk
of oral infection, which may lead to teeth and
bone loss. It will then affect the effectiveness
of braces, implants and other dental
treatments that rely on accurate teeth
measurements and adequate bone support.

3. Solutions
Oral health experts strongly encourage patients
to stop the habit during the treatment. Dental
implant installations usually require surgery so
people should have healthy teeth and gums.
They should also have strong bones to support
the implants.
Proper oral hygiene and regular dental visits are
also necessary for treatments to become
effective. People should undergo a thorough
evaluation with a dentist to determine if they
are eligible for dental implants.
Chain smokers should make a conscious effort
to stop smoking by going into healthier
activities. They should also remove lighters,
cigarettes or anything that will remind them of
the habit. Resting the tongue or putting a hot
compress in the cheek will help curb the impulse
to smoke.
Smoking will not only damage the teeth but also
cause dental treatments to be ineffective. As
such, it is important to drop the habit early.

4. Resources:
http://www.drpainless.com/dental-implants/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17274726
http://www.deardoctor.com/inside-the-magazine/issue-27/dental-implants-and-smoking/