Why is cigarette smoke the No. 1 enemy of dental implants?

The number one enemy of the dental implants?

The cigarette smoke.

That's right, those who do not smoke have a much higher success rate In loading a dental implant compared with those who smoke.

The Smoking is most harmful to osseointegration (the fusion between the bone and the implant) and the longevity of the implant itself; cigarette smoking Can cause serious difficulties During implant treatment, Increasing the probability of failure and infection For so many reasons:

❌ bone regeneration and integration. slower
❌ weakening of the bone Where the implants are placed
❌ increased risk Of infection by bacteria
❌ slow healing Of bone and implant

Smoking is also considered one of the most prominent risk factors for peri-implantitis (a disease that exclusively affects dental implants), along with poor oral hygiene and a previous history of periodontitis.

The reason why smokers are more susceptible to peri-implantitis is that cigarette smoking results in impaired innate and adaptive responses of the immune system, also affecting the patient's ability to heal.

That's why Those who are to undergo implant surgery should stop smoking or, at least, not smoke anything in the days after surgery And, subsequently, drastically reduce the number of cigarettes smoked!

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[Medical Director: Dr. Mauro Savio, Member of the Dentists Register Provincial Order of Surgeons and Dentists of Milan n. 4168].