While dental implants can potentially last the rest of your life, their longevity ultimately depends on the care you give them. Certain lifestyle choices could end up increasing – or decreasing – your risk for implant failure. So what can you do in order to keep your newly restored smile safe? Below are 3 examples of lifestyle changes that could end up being beneficial for your dental implants.
1. Improve Your Oral Hygiene
Just because dental implants can’t get cavities doesn’t mean that you can afford to be lax about oral hygiene. Gum disease is still a serious concern; it could end up damaging the tissues around the implant posts, causing them to come loose. While gum disease can be treated, it’s best to prevent it from happening in the first place so that it doesn’t have the chance to put your dental implants at risk.
Remember to brush and floss at least two times a day, and don’t neglect the area where your dental implants are located. And of course, when it comes to oral hygiene, you should always visit your dentist every six months for a professional cleaning.
2. Make Healthy Choices in Your Everyday Life
Oral infections can easily lead to dental implant failure. So what can you do to reduce the chances of such infections happening? For one thing, you can make dietary choices that will help you maintain a strong immune system. Good examples include leafy greens, nuts, berries, and fish oil. Yogurt can also be an excellent option since it contains probiotics that can help slow the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth.
Additionally, you may want to consider exercising more often in order to maintain a healthy weight. This is because being overweight can potentially be linked to specific health issues that can increase your risk of infection, such as diabetes. Keeping your entire body healthy can go a long way toward helping you protect your dental implants.
3. Give Up Smoking
It’s no secret that smoking can have many detrimental effects on your overall health. As just one example, it can slow down healing in your mouth. This can end up interfering with your body’s ability to form a lasting bond with your dental implants.
You will most likely be told to give up smoking for a certain period of time after you get your dental implants. Even after your mouth has successfully recovered from the dental implant procedure, it’s best to continue to avoid tobacco products if you want to minimize your risk for gum disease.
Dental implants can change your life for the better, so it’s only natural to want to do everything you can to protect your investment. If you’re wondering if there’s anything else you can do to protect your new smile, speak to your dentist or your oral surgeon.
About the Author
Dr. Darren Koch studied dentistry at The University at Buffalo, eventually earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery. He underwent additional training in implant dentistry during his one-year advanced general dentistry residency at UNC-Chapel Hill. He works with local oral surgeons so that his patients can rebuild their smiles with dental implants. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Koch at his practice in Cary, visit his website or call (919) 859-6633.
