If you suffer from extensive tooth loss, you know firsthand how much it can affect your quality of life. Not only does it impact your appearance, but the way you bite, chew, and speak as well. Fortunately, dental implants are an excellent solution to rebuild your smile and restore your confidence. Once you get them, you’re going to want to protect your investment. To keep your new smile safe, here are a few bad habits you should avoid.
Smoking or Using Tobacco Products
It’s no secret that smoking and using tobacco products can have detrimental effects on your oral health. However, it’s especially bad for patients with dental implants. It increases your risk of gum disease, making it harder for your bone to regrow and fuse with the titanium post. In fact, smokers are two to three times more likely to experience implant failure than non-smokers. That said, it’s a good idea to quit for the sake of your health and your new smile.
Not Flossing Regularly
Although it’s often overlooked, flossing is a crucial step in your oral hygiene routine. It’s necessary to remove bacteria, plaque, food particles, and other harmful substances from between your teeth. Dental implants can’t develop cavities, but that doesn’t mean you should skip the floss. It’s crucial to keep your gums healthy and free of infection. Since gum disease is the leading cause of dental implant failure, it’s important to do what you can to prevent it.
Missing Preventive Checkups
A healthy smile requires more than just brushing and flossing. You must also visit your dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings. These routine appointments allow your dentist to prevent, detect, and treat oral health issues before they become complications. Additionally, professional cleanings will help keep the gums around the implant healthy, ensuring there are no problems that can lead to the loss of the implant.
Chewing on Non-Food Items
Do you have a habit of biting your fingernails or chewing on pens when you’re bored? Most people do and don’t even realize it! Since dental implants aren’t designed to chew on plastic, metal, or hard tissues, you should do your best to kick this habit to the curb. Otherwise, you can crack or chip your dental crown and cause damage to the bones around the implant, causing it to loosen and even fail.
Using Your Teeth as Tools
If you’re ever struggling to tear open a package or soda bottle, don’t resort to using your teeth. Using excessive force can cause damage to the crowns or loosen your dental implants, which are weak against pulling or twisting forces. Instead, wait for the right tool or ask someone to give you a helping hand!
After getting dental implants, you’re going to want to keep your new smile in its very best shape for as long as possible. By breaking the bad habits outlined above, you can ensure your investment lasts a lifetime!
About the Author
Dr. Jason Hong is passionate about helping every patient that walks through his door achieve their absolute best smile. He strives to make everyone feel like a member of his very own family. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Hong studied at the prestigious New York University College of Dentistry. If you have missing teeth, he offers dental implants to help restore your smile and confidence. To learn more ways to protect your investment, visit Dr. Hong’s website or call (630) 789-1555.