Avoid These Bad Habits for the Good of Your Dental Implants

When you make a significant investment, you want to do everything you can to make it last a long time and remain in great condition. Dental implants are not only a financial investment, they are a long-term investment in your quality of life.

With that being said, if you decide to move forward with them as your tooth replacement option, the last thing you want to do is let some bad habits stir up trouble and potentially harm your implants. Here are bad habits to avoid according to a dentist in order to protect your dental implants in Campbell.

Clenching Your Jaw or Grinding Your Teeth

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.

Not Flossing Daily

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.

Failing to Control Your Sugar Consumption

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.

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 Items Other Than Food 

Nervous habits like chewing on ice, pens, or your fingernails have got to 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.

About the Author

Dr. Karen Ho and her team strive to offer patients in the Campbell area oral healthcare that is comfortable and a refreshingly modern experience. We place a great deal of emphasis on preventive care to keep smiles safer and stronger over time. Dr. Ho wants to do what is best for you, so she frequently collaborates with oral surgeons, periodontists, endodontists, orthodontists, and even lab technicians. If you are interested in dental implants, she offers collaborative care with trusted specialists, high-quality materials for lasting improvement, plus dental insurance is welcome, and financing is available. Whether you are missing one tooth, multiple teeth, or all of them, dental implants could be your long-term answer. To schedule a consultation, visit her website or call (408) 558-9444.