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 It’s Never too Late to Straighten Your Smile

Braces as an adult? No way. At least, that was what I thought when my dentist told me that I was going to have to see an orthodontist about my crooked teeth. But my teeth were so misaligned that they were causing me pain when I chewed, so I decided to at least look into it. Turns out braces today are nothing like the ones my friends had when I was a kid. Mine were practically invisible, and I didn't need to wear them that long. I started this blog to encourage other people like me who are nervous about the prospect of wearing braces as an adult. My straight smile is so worth the trips to the orthodontist, and wearing braces was nowhere near as bad as I thought. Read on to find out more about how you can straighten your smile.

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It’s Never too Late to Straighten Your Smile

How To Avoid Dental Implant Failure

by Jacqueline Byrd

Dental implants offer a safe, reliable and attractive way for you to restore your beautiful smile without the complications offered by ordinary dentures. While the overwhelming majority of patients go on to enjoy a lifetime of great smiles, there are a few cases where dental implants have failed.

The vast majority of dental implant failures come from trauma, poor dental hygiene, and a variety of other health factors.

Practice Good Dental Hygiene

Maintaining good dental hygiene is just as important for dental implants as it is for your real teeth. Neglecting your dental health can set the stage for bacterial infections that can cause swelling and inflammation of the gums. Long-term bacterial infections can actually break the bond between the implant and bone, causing the implant to loosen and eventually fail.

Good dental hygiene is an absolute must if you want to keep your implants in place. Here are a few tips that can help you maintain your dental health and ensure long-term success for your implants:

  • Brush twice daily using toothpaste recommended by your dentist, and floss once a day.
  • Use interdental brushes to remove biofilm from hard-to-reach areas around your implant.
  • Rinse with an alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash after brushing and flossing.

Change Your Diet

Your diet can also have a significant impact on your dental implant health. Good nutrition is important for keeping your jaw's bone structure intact, which in turn keeps your dental implants properly anchored. A poor diet not only contributes to poor overall health, but it could also lead to bone loss and other complications leading to implant failure.

Some of the foods you eat can also have a direct impact on how your dental implants hold up. If you want to reduce your chances of dental implant failure, you may need to modify your eating behaviors:

  1. Avoid heavy alcohol consumption. Heavy drinkers are often at an elevated risk for avascular necrosis, a condition where bone deteriorates due to poor blood flow.
  2. Avoid hard and sticky candies. Despite being delicious, consuming these candies can damage your dental implants.
  3. Stick to cooked vegetables. While raw vegetables are healthy, they also have the potential to crack and break dental implants.
  4. Be careful with hot beverages. When drinking hot tea or coffee, make sure it's not hot enough to affect the metal implant hardware.  

Steer Clear of Tobacco

Whether you're an occasional or heavy smoker, getting a new lease on your smile also means giving up your cigarettes. Most instances of implant failure can be traced back to tobacco usage, especially if the patient continues to smoke or use chewing tobacco after receiving their dental implants. During a recent study, smokers with dental implants suffered a 15.8 percent failure rate within the first five years, whereas only 1.4 percent of non-smokers experienced implant failure during the same period.

In addition to countless other health benefits, giving up smoking and chewing tobacco can also reduce your odds of dental implant failure. Giving up cigarettes or chewing tobacco can be tough, but there are plenty of ways you can successfully kick the habit and preserve your dental health.

Tackle Dental Issues Immediately

If you notice something is wrong with your dental implants, don't make the mistake of waiting around for the problem to resolve itself. You shouldn't ignore minor issues with your dental implants, as these issues can easily snowball into more serious problems that could threaten the survivability of your implants.

You should see your dentist immediately if you start experiencing the following symptoms:

  • Severe pain near the site of your dental implants
  • Swelling and inflammation of the gums
  • Bleeding and pus formation at the gum line

Regularly scheduled checkups can also help stop dental implant issues before they have a chance to cause implant failure.

To learn more about dental implants, check out websites like http://premierdentalgrp.com/.

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