Smoking cigarettes kills more than 480,000 people a year in the US; not only does this horrible habit end peoples’ lives, but it also destroys our teeth and gums. Dr. Andrew Mortensen of Fountain Valley, CA is here blogging today to tell you why dental implants could be the life- changing solution to your oral hygiene issues.
Your System Is Not Immune
Cigarettes first start with our immune system and slowly diminish its functionality, which is detrimental to our “infection fighter’s” abilities to help us rid the body of diseases and illnesses. Once our immune system is down, it makes it almost impossible to avoid and eliminate infection, as well as heal from it. This horrible and gradual erosion of our gums is known commonly as gingivitis, but it can develop into a worse disease called periodontitis; that causes your gums to separate from your actual teeth. First the gums will get swollen and red, and then they start to bleed regularly. Once you have this it may be hard to chew food because your teeth become extremely sensitive and if the disease continues to spread, they could eventually fall out. Basically, cigarettes single- handedly destroy our dental hygiene and erode our gums.
If you are reading this and you are a smoker, obviously the ideal thing for you to do right now is to quit while you still can. However, we know that it is not as easy as it sounds or looks, so the only options that you have left to salvage whatever gums or teeth you have left are: a dental implant prodecure, to brush your teeth twice a day, floss as often as you brush (if not more), and make sure to see your dentist regularly.
Down To the Wire
Now, if you are in the stage where you have lost more than a few teeth or have bleeding gums and you are desperate for this procedure to save your overall dental hygiene, be warned: it may not work. Your habit makes your implant procedure twice as likely to fail due to many complications it has created: extensive deterioration of jawbone, sunken facial appearance, lack of healthy bone, and hindered blood circulation. Not only does the lack of healthy bone in your jaw hurt your chances for the procedure to be a success, but it also even leads to facial deformation which creates early wrinkled skin; basically aging you years and years in advance.
Call us Today to Schedule a Consultation in Fountain Valley, CA.
If you are concerned about your dental health due to your smoking habit, call us today to determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants. Imagine being able to smile again and have the confidence and poise you used to have before you picked up this unpleasant routine. Call us today at 714-421-4722 for a free consultation!