Friday, July 22, 2016

How Smoking Affects Dental Implants

By now, mostly everyone knows about the endless list of ways smoking can harm your body. However, did you know that it can also affect the success of dental work like dental implants? Since the smoke enters your body first through your mouth, it can really have a major effect on your soft tissues. The Oyster Bay Family Dentists of Oyster Bay, NY want our patients to understand the ways smoking can affect your future oral health. Keep reading to learn more.


Smoking physically changes the gum tissues in your mouth and the blood vessels surrounding them. The top layer of skin cells in the gums develops a condition called keratosis, which is the thickening of the tissues. The salivary glands within these tissues become blocked off and damaged, which creates dry mouth. The superficial blood vessels in the mouth begin to constrict, so they do not supply enough blood to the area. These effects create problems with healing, immune strength, and bacteria. When there is decreased blood flow, the area can take longer to heal after implant surgery. In addition, a dry mouth promotes gum disease. Over time, these issues will cause more bone loss in the jawbone around an implant, increasing the risk of the implant falling out.


Smoking wreaks havoc on the lungs, the circulatory system, oral health, among many other body systems. It is also a known cause of cancer. The best thing to do is to quit or never start. To schedule an examination, an oral cancer screening, or an implant consultation with The Oyster Bay Family Dentists in Oyster Bay, NY, call us at (516) 922-5730 or visit our website, www.oysterbaydentists.com

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