Smoker? Tobacco-user? Say Hello to the Houston Dental Implant!

This article explains the link between tobacco-use and tooth loss (and the need for tooth replacement)

Houston Dental Implants and Tobacco-Use: Introduction

If life were a game of ‘connect-the-dots’, then it could be said with confidence that there is a straight line between being a smoker and the need for Houston dental implants. You’ve read the warning signs on your carton of cigarettes, but do you take them seriously? Being a smoker or a user of tobacco in one form or another is a bitter sweet thing. It’s a habit that is immensely enjoyed by those who subscribe to it, but at the same time, it’s a hurdle that needs to be overcome if one is to live a longer and healthier life. Countless medical research has revealed tobacco-use to lead to a whole host of terrifying illnesses and conditions; one of which is terminal; death. But if that didn’t scare you enough, how about the fact that tobacco-use causes gum disease and tooth loss? If you are a smoker and didn’t know about Houston dental implants, then perhaps it’s time you became acquainted! Unless, of course, you had plans to quit….

Houston Dental Implants: How Smoking Causes Tooth Loss

Tobacco-use causes numerous things to happen to your body. The most immediately noticeably ones are probably what keeps you lighting up; a sense of calm, a distraction from stress, a feeling of sociable ‘belonging’, etc. But take a look under the microscope and the picture can be quite frightening. Smoking thickens the blood, which retards the flow of this life-giving circulation to the gums and teeth. Smoking also tends to cause ‘dry mouth’; an impediment to saliva production. Now, your saliva contains enzymes that not only help to break down the food you eat, but it also acts as a natural anti-bacterial agent. Without a healthy flow of blood to the soft and hard tissues in your mouth and adequate saliva production (the body’s natural protection against bacteria) the health of your gums and teeth can become compromised and more vulnerable to bacterial infection.

Without treatment, the infection can penetrate deep down into the gingival sulci, causing pockets of decay to accumulate between the tooth root and the gum walls. And this is where tooth loss and Houston dental implants become something you may imminently need to consider, unless you seek immediate treatment for your oral problems.

Houston Dental Implants: A Cautionary Note

Just to further complicate the life and oral health of a tobacco-user, smokers have a lesser chance of success with Houston dental implants than non-smokers. Due to the slowed flow of blood in the gums and jawbone, healing tends to take longer and in some severe cases of bacterial infection, it can become impossible altogether. While Houston dental implants offer a comprehensive and long term solution to missing teeth, smokers (and non-smokers alike) absolutely need to appreciate that nothing can rival having a complete set of natural healthy teeth. Understanding the linear connection between tobacco-use and the need for Houston dental implants may help you to kick the habit. If not, then perhaps this picture will…