How Smoking Harms Your Oral Health and Damages Your Dental Implants

[Richard Vasquez]

Dental implants help you overcome tooth loss and get your smile back. The latest developments in dental technology have made dental implants safe, durable, and long-lasting. If you follow good oral hygiene it is almost impossible for dental implant to fail.

When dental implants do fail, it is usually due to harmful lifestyle habits, poor oral hygiene, and a lack of care on the part of patients. Smoking is a leading cause of implant failures, after periodontal disease. If you want your implants to succeed, you should quit smoking as early as possible.

Here are a few reasons why you should quit smoking if you want your dental implants to look great and your smile to stay at its best.

1.Smoking Affects Oral Tissues

Oral tissues are adversely affected by inhaled smoke. The smoke kills soft tissue and causes blackening and hardening in the affected regions. This is known as keratosis.

The affected layer of cells also contains salivary glands which get blocked by this thickening. The reduced production of saliva causes dryness in the mouth and promotes bacterial growth, which leads to accelerated tooth decay and gum problems. When not washed away by saliva, the acids released by bacteria corrode and damage teeth. So if you feel that you are suffering from chronic dry mouth, make sure you visit a dentist as soon as possible.

Bacteria also irritates the gums and causes them to detach from the teeth. Exposed tooth roots are highly prone to decay. Dental roots are covered by cementum which is similar to tooth enamel, but softer. Cementum easily corrodes and decays, and in no time you have tooth decay growing deeper and affecting even the dental pulp and the jawbone.

Smokers are found to have much deeper pockets between their teeth and gums than non-smokers. Bone loss and periodontal problems occur at a very high rate in smokers.

2. Smoking Affects Blood Flow

Tobacco smoke is a vasoconstrictor, and constricts oral tissues. This reduces or stops the blood flow in the gums and jawbone. One of the most dangerous effects of vasoconstriction is loss of sensation in the gums which can mean gum disease goes undetected in its early stages. Bone loss is very severe in smokers, and the preliminary stages go untreated because the lack of gum sensitivity masks the warning signs. Vasoconstriction also causes less swelling and bleeding in smokers' gums as compared to non-smokers with similar oral health, meaning that the severity of gum disease can be underestimated due to suppression of the symptoms.

Adequate blood flow is also essential for your body to function optimally. An implant is a bone graft and requires time to heal. If there is no blood flow to the surgical site then recovery becomes difficult and the implant will most likely fail. Blood brings in oxygen and nutrients to the graft and flushes out toxins from the site. In smokers, nicotine and toxins present in smoke drastically reduce blood flow and increase the risk of implant failure.

3. Smoking Slows Osseointegration Slows Down

A dental implant is a titanium post that is placed in the jawbone, mimicking a natural tooth root. Titanium implants are most widely used because they are compatible with human bone and fuse with it over time. This is a surgical procedure that your periodontist in Pittsburgh performs in the dental office. You will usually require a few months for the surgical site to heal completely before the final crown can be placed.

You can see that good bone health and healing are essential for implants to succeed. In smokers, gum disease often remains hidden until the condition has progressed into severe periodontitis. Gums recede and decay spreads into the exposed roots. This is accompanied by the loss of bone and ligaments that support teeth. Smoking makes it harder to heal or rebuild your jaw bone, thus increasing the risk of implants being rejected by the body.

4. Smoking Hastens Tooth Loss

Studies show that tooth loss and smoking are strongly linked. Joint research carried out by the University of Birmingham and the German Institute of Human Nutrition found out that male smokers were 3.6 times more likely to lose their teeth compared to non-smokers, and female smokers were 2.6 times more likely to lose teeth compared to non-smokers. Quick and consistent bone loss, damaged oral tissues, rapid dental decay, an acidic environment in the mouth, frequently poor oral hygiene, and a lack of response to treatment are some of the reasons why smokers experience more tooth loss.

Conclusion

Smoking harms your health in a variety of ways. It affects almost every part of your body and causes several diseases. Tobacco smoke discolors your lips and weakens your teeth. In no time you lose teeth, ruining your lovely smile. For the sake of your health, give up smoking, adopt healthy food habits, follow good oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly. Over the course of time, your dental health will improve and you will be able to reverse the damages caused by smoking.