5 Harmful Habits That Can Damage Your Dental Implants and New Smile
Dental implants are widely considered the gold standard of teeth replacements. Combined with popular dental implant restoration Glendale options like crowns or dentures, these artificial tooth roots can restore your smile. They are usually surgically installed into the jawbone by a dental expert.
Once dental implants fuse to your jawbone, they form a natural and strong support for restoration treatments. The result is a natural and attractive smile where you used to have missing or damaged teeth. Below is a review of five things that could threaten your new smile and how to avoid them.
Using Your Teeth Improperly
Your teeth form your smile, contour your face, and allow you to speak and eat. However, some people treat their teeth like multi-tools – using them to open bottles, tear into snack packets, crack open nuts, and the like. These habits exert too much pressure on your teeth.
If you have implants and implant restorations, the repeated pulling and twisting can damage the material. The pressure can dislocate or break your implants, necessitating replacement. Using your teeth for odd tasks can also injure your gums and damage your remaining natural teeth.
Smoking
Smoking stains and discolors natural teeth. Similarly, it can cause your dental implant restorations to appear lackluster. Even worse, smoking and ingesting other tobacco products also compromises your immunity and increases your risk of implant failure.
According to the US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, people who smoke have a two to three times higher risk of implant failure. This means that smoking can also limit the success of your implants. It can make your body attack these roots as if they were harmful.
Failing to Clean Your Teeth
While dental implants are different from your natural teeth, they need just as much care. This means you cannot slack on your oral health routines when you get implants. You need to brush your teeth at least twice and floss at least once a day.
If you neglect your oral health, tartar can buildup on and in between your teeth. This can then lead to infections like gum disease and tooth decay. Both of these conditions can weaken your jawbone and gums, limiting the support available for your implants and implant restorations.
Eating Tough or Chewy Foods
Just like using your teeth improperly can damage your implants, so can chewing hard, crunchy, or chewy foods. These include hard nuts, ice, candy, and more. Your dental implants are solidly fused into your jawbone but making a habit of chewing these foods can exert undue pressure on them.
The same can be said for biting your nails and chewing on pens, toothpicks, or straws. In addition to exerting pressure on your implants, these chewing behaviors can also injure your jawbone and gums.
Clenching and Grinding Your Teeth
Many people unknowingly clench or grind their teeth in their sleep or during period of stress. These actions exert pressure and cause resistance on your jawbones. Left unchecked, they can damage and wear out dental restorations. Your dentist can prevent this by prescribing you a mouthguard.
Well-Maintained Implants Last Longer
Dental implants can last over a decade if they are properly maintained. The best way to get the most out of your new smile is to curb these and other habits that could potentially damage them. With that done, you should also visit your dentist regularly for professional maintenance.
Your dentist is better equipped to clean your teeth and diagnose and treat potential problems before they turn serious. If you just got dental implants or would like to, contact a dentistry office today. You can start your journey to a beautiful, long-lasting smile.