One type of Dental Treatment in Vancouver WA for replacing missing teeth is the placement of dental implants. The other option is for the patient to wear a bridge or a full set of dentures. Implants are favored by dentists because of their distinct advantages, but the alternatives are still suitable for dental patients. In fact, men and women who smoke may be unable to get implants because of the high failure rate associated with tobacco use.
About Implants
Dental implant rods are usually made of titanium. They are surgically placed in the jawbone under the gum tissue. When implantation is successful, the rods do not come loose. They also stimulate the bone during chewing, just as natural teeth roots do. That leads to new bone cells being produced to keep the jaw strong.
Smoking Considerations
Some dentists will not provide this type of Dental Treatment in Vancouver WA to patients who smoke. Others are willing to consider it, depending on the patient’s age, the number of years the habit has gone on, and how frequently the person indulges.
Examples
Consider an individual of age 30 who smokes a pack a day and has been doing so for 10 years, and needs one tooth replaced after it was knocked out in an athletic event. This person is a much better candidate for one implant than a person of age 55 who has smoked more than a pack a day for three decades, and has had several teeth extracted over the years.
The first person will likely not have lost much jawbone density or strength due to age or the tobacco habit. The dentist may place an implant but will also strongly encourage this person to give up tobacco use. The patient will be provided with information about how smoking weakens jawbone structure and can cause an implant to come loose. It may never fully fuse with the bone, which is required for successful rod implantation. If the patient is currently unwilling to quit the habit, the implant can be checked routinely at the clinic where it was placed, such as Mill Plain Dental Center.
