Have you been told by a periodontist that you need dental implants? Do you also smoke cigarettes? If so, you’ll want to keep on reading to learn some important information from Manhattan periodontist Dr. Kissel about how smoking cigarettes can affect your dental implant surgery, recovery time and the longevity of your implants.
Smoking Causes Numerous Risks to Your Health – Including Your Oral Health
You likely already know that smoking increases your risk for cancer and coronary disease. But are you aware that smoking is also bad for your oral health? The hot gasses that are associated with cigarette smoke can burn the oral cavity and also damage your salivary glands. Smoking also encourages disease-causing oral bacteria to grow in your mouth. Finally, the nicotine in smoke – and smokeless tobacco – can reduce the blood flow to the soft tissues in your mouth, making it harder and slower for your body to heal from surgeries, wounds, and injuries.
Smoking Can Make It Much More Difficult for You to Heal from Dental Implants, Increasing Your Risk for Implant Failure
Unfortunately, if you smoke, it may complicate your dental implant surgery and/or your recovery time period. And, if you don’t recover properly from your dental implant surgery – meaning that your jawbone and gum tissue don’t properly grow around your dental implants – you could be at risk for dental implant failure, a condition in which these meant-to-be-permanent implants fail, either falling out or needing to be removed and replaced.
What Should You Do If You Need Dental Implants and You Smoke?
Just because you smoke, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider getting dental implants. Dental implants are still the most effective and long-lasting way for Manhattan dental patients to replace their missing or diseased teeth. But, if you do smoke and decide to get dental implants, you should consider a few smoking cessation options to help improve both your oral and overall health:
- Quit Smoking Now.
We know you’ve likely heard this from multiple sources, and that quitting smoking is difficult and uncomfortable. But, Dr. Kissel wants to help. If you are considering getting dental implants and want to use this as your motivation to quit smoking cigarettes for good, ask Dr. Kissel for help getting into a smoking cessation program.
- Quit Smoking for 1 Week Before and After Your Dental Implants Procedure.
If you’re not ready to commit to quitting smoking altogether, we understand. Quitting smoking can be a very emotional and difficult decision to make. But, if you consider quitting smoking for at least the week before and the week after your dental implant surgery, you will do much to improve your oral health and your body’s natural healing process. And who knows, maybe after two weeks of not smoking cigarettes, you’ll realize that you don’t need, or miss them at all!
What Should You Do If You Have More Questions About Smoking and Dental Implants?
We understand that when it comes to reading or talking about smoking and your health, anything can seem like a lecture. But Manhattan’s Dr. Kissel truly wants to help you make the best decision for you, which he can only do if you are honest about your tobacco usage. Tell Dr. Kissel how much you smoke a day, and explain whether or not you’re willing to try one of the three smoking cessation options listed above.
To learn more about the effects of smoking and dental implants, the best thing for you to do is to have a conversation with Dr. Kissel directly.
You can schedule an appointment with him in his Manhattan offices today by calling (212) 702-9088.
