Your dental implant procedure not only promotes a more attractive smile but can also help restore proper chewing function and correct bite malocclusions. Getting dental implants is a multi-step procedure and your recovery and healing process can take months. Because of this, you will need to consider the following interventions to help ensure that you enjoy a complication-free recovery so that you can better enjoy the many benefits of your dental implants. 

Avoid Tobacco Products

Smoking tobacco exposes your body to noxious gasses and chemicals that can raise your risk for heart disease and lung problems. In addition, smoking following your dental implant procedure can increase your risk of developing an infection or implant failure. This is because smoking can impair the circulation inside your mouth and in the sockets where the metal rods have been implanted by your dentist.

The chemicals and toxic gasses from smoking can also damage the small blood vessels of your oral mucosa, potentially leading to an infection or soft tissue necrosis. Quitting smoking before your implant procedure begins will help ensure that you sail through your recovery without any complications. If you are unable to stop smoking completely, cutting down will also provide healing benefits following your procedure. 

Periodontal Disease Management

Because your dental implant procedure involves implanting titanium rods into your jawbone, it is essential that you take steps to keep your jawbone as healthy as possible. This includes managing gingivitis so that it does not progress to periodontal disease, which not only causes bleeding gums and inflammation, but it can also damage the underlying bones supporting your rods. If this happens, your rods will not be fully supported in your jawbone and may loosen.

Periodontal disease may also prevent the rods from fully fusing to your jawbone. If you have gum disease, maintain a good regimen of oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly. It is also prudent to consume a healthy diet rich in calcium and vitamin D to help support oral bone health. Also, eating foods rich in vitamin C will help promote wound healing of the sockets and decrease your risk for gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Consider the above interventions before scheduling your dental implant procedure. When you take the necessary steps to maintain your oral health and general well-being, you will be more likely to experience a problem-free healing process so that you can enjoy your dental implants for many years to come. 

Contact a local dentist to learn more about dental implants.

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