Over 500,000 people choose dental implants each year because of their amazing health and lifestyle benefits. With the potential to last for decades to come, it’s up to you to maintain your implants once they’re in place. While they’re designed to be incredibly durable, there are still ways you can damage your smile. Read on to learn the top 5 worst habits you can develop if you have dental implants so you can protect your newly repaired teeth.
#1. Forgetting to Floss
Dental implants themselves can’t get decayed or infected, but your surrounding teeth and gums can. Without flossing, your gums are more likely to become infected. Gum disease is actually one of the leading causes of implant failure, which is why it’s integral that you floss each tooth, especially around your dental implants.
#2. Using Tobacco Products
One of the other main contributors to dental implant failure is tobacco use. In fact, it can increase the risk of your implants failing by 2 or 3 times. Smoking and other types of tobacco products cause gum disease, however it also interferes with the regrowth of the bone. If you quit smoking, you’ll dramatically raise your chances of having implants for the rest of your life.
#3. Using Your Teeth as Tools
Whether it’s opening a package, or even a bottle, you may get impatient and use your teeth. While this is never a good idea, it can be especially dangerous with dental implants. Using your teeth as tools puts unnecessary pressure on your implants, damaging the bone that surrounds them in the process. This can eventually lead to failure if you’re not careful.
#4. Avoiding Your Dental Appointments
The American Dental Association recommends visiting the dentist twice a year for routine checkups and cleanings. However, most dentists recommend more frequent appointments if you have dental implants. This is important because it allows an expert to ensure everything looks, feels, and functions properly. If there is an issue like gum disease, it can be caught and treated early before it turns into something serious like losing your implants.
#5. Chewing on Ice or Fingernails
As a rule of thumb, it’s best not to chew on any non-food items. Most popularly, ice and fingernails can be especially dangerous. The restorations that top your implants like crowns, bridges, or dentures are durable, however they are likely to crack when put under this pressure. Additionally, your jawbone holding the implants in place is put at risk.
Dental implants have a success rate of 95% even after 10 years. To avoid being in that slim 5%, remember to stay away from these bad habits!
Meet the Dentist
At Dr. Glen’s Happy Teeth, Dr. Benny Tong specializes in implantology, endodontics, and prosthodontics. This allows him to offer dental implant surgery and restoration all at the same convenient location. For any questions, Dr. Tong can be reached through his website or by phone at (516) 517-0331.