5 Bad Habits That Could Cause Your Dental Implants to Fail

Dental implants offer a variety of unique benefits that can improve your quality of life, and when they’re well-maintained, you’ll be able to continue enjoying those advantages for decades to come. Even though your restorations can’t develop cavities because they’re prosthetics, it’s still crucial to treat them with care to avoid implant failure. Read on to learn about five habits you need to break in order to get the most out of your investment in dental implants.

Skipping Flossing & Brushing

Even with your prosthetic teeth, it’s crucial for you to keep up with your daily at-home oral hygiene routine. Brushing for two minutes twice each day, flossing daily, and rinsing with antimicrobial mouthwash can all prevent peri-implantitis by making sure that your mouth doesn’t become overrun with bacteria.

Using Your Teeth to Bite Into Items That Aren’t Food

Just like with your regular teeth, it’s important to be mindful of what you’re putting in your mouth and what you’re using your prosthetics for. They’re not indestructible, which is why you should still remain mindful of opening packages and using them for tools. Instead, grab a pair of scissors!

Skipping Routine Dental Appointments

It’s still important that you visit your dentist every six months for routine checkups and cleanings to make sure that your dental implants are functioning properly. That way, if your prosthetic or dental implants are damaged, they can repair them before the issue progresses. These visits are also a great way to learn whether any habits you do are affecting your new implants.

Smoking

Smoking and tobacco use play a large role in implant failure by reducing the circulation of blood to your mouth and causing dry mouth, which can create the perfect environment for harmful oral bacteria to thrive in. If you’re undergoing the osseointegration period of your dental implant procedure or already completed the entire process, it’s important to take steps towards quitting smoking so your implants don’t fail.

Chewing on Your Fingernails

The constant force of biting on your hard fingernails when you’re nervous or anxious can lead to chipped, cracked, and damaged prosthetic teeth. To avoid this, try substituting this habit for another one that’s healthier, like squeezing a stress ball. In addition to damage, this habit can result in more risks. The bacteria beneath your fingernails can also transfer to your mouth and cause oral infections, which can result in implant failure.

After investing thousands of dollars in beautiful, new dental implants, it makes sense that you want to do everything you can to preserve your rejuvenated smile. By breaking these five bad habits, you can drastically reduce your risk of dental implant failure and keep your new teeth healthy and happy for decades to come.

About the Author

Dr. George Stoddard has over 25 years of experience restoring and rejuvenating smiles that suffer from tooth loss. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery at the University of Texas’ Health Science Center in San Antonio and completed is Advanced Education in General Dentistry at LSU School of Dentistry. He offers cutting-edge tooth replacement treatments, like dental implants, to boost his patients’ confidence and improve their overall quality of life. To schedule a routine checkup and cleaning or learn more about dental implants, visit Longview Dental Center’s website or call 903-753-9758.