You wouldn’t buy a convertible and then leave the top down with a thunderstorm in the forecast – at least not without regretting it. Your dental implants are like that convertible. It’s not hyperbole to say that they are more valuable than a car in terms of their impact on your quality of life. It makes all the sense in the world that you would want to take good care of them, so they last many years.
On that note, there are things you really want to refrain from doing to ensure their lifespan. Here are dental bad habits to avoid from your dentist in Springfield to protect your implants.
Skipping Flossing
Dental implants can’t develop cavities, but you still need to brush them to protect the rest of your mouth from plaque. It’s the same for flossing, but even more crucial. Flossing removes food and plaque from around the gum line – including parts of the dental implant you can’t reach with a toothbrush. Because gum disease is the leading cause of dental implant failure, it’s vitally important to protect your gums.
Smoking
If smoking is bad for natural teeth, it’s terrible for dental implants. It elevates your risk for gum disease, which would make it harder for your jawbone to grow and bind with the dental implant. Smokers are 2-3 times more likely to lose their dental implants.
Chewing on Non-Foods
Nervous habits like chewing on ice, pens, or your fingernails must go. While dental implants are made from high-quality materials, they are not designed for chewing plastic, metal, or hard tissues like fingernails. Not only could you crack or chip your restoration, but you could also potentially damage the bones around the dental implant to put it at risk of failure.
Eating Too Much Sugar
Sugary snacks boost your chances of developing gum disease, which is the leading cause of tooth loss in America. Eventually, it can damage the jawbone and destroy the connective tissues that hold your natural teeth and dental implant in place. There are gum disease treatments available but cutting back on your sugar intake is a much simpler way to avoid disaster.
Grinding Your Teeth or Clenching Your Jaw
When you grind your teeth or clench your jaw in your sleep, it’s called bruxism. This frequent extra pressure and abrasion can lead to a lot of issues, including damaging or loosening your dental implant. Your dentist can help you find out if you have bruxism and develop a custom mouthguard to keep your teeth safe.
As you can see, avoiding bad habits for dental implants puts you in a better position to be healthy overall. You can schedule a consultation with your dentist in Springfield to discuss dental implants, and if you believe it is going to be difficult to stop any of these habits it would be important to mention it.
About the Author
Dr. Eric Tolliver is a Springfield native and his uncle was a dentist, which proved to be the spark of interest in the dental field early in life. He earned his dental doctorate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Dr. Tolliver has comprehensive training in cosmetic smile design, advanced fixed and removable prosthetic restorations, implant dentistry, TMJ treatment, and Invisalign. If you are interested in dental implants, he can perform the entire treatment at his office location to replace any number of teeth for decades, and be sure to ask about All-On-4 dental implants. You can schedule a consultation on his website or by calling (417) 887-5757.