A dental implant is a device that is placed in the bone to support various other dental products that might be used. It can be used to support crowns, dentures and bridges that may be required for a variety of reasons. The teeth are made up of hard tissue that is designed to help with the process of chewing. The teeth are constantly exposed to bacteria and other foreign objects. They are also constantly under pressure while biting and chewing is taking place. It is possible for a person to lose one or more teeth during the course of the adult life.
Children lose their teeth as they grow up and these teeth are replaced by adult teeth. During adult life, improper oral hygiene could cause teeth to rot or decay and fall off.
Old age is also associated with a loss of teeth because of the weakening of the roots of the teeth as well as wear and tear. During the life of an individual an injury can also occur which causes a loss of one or more teeth. Any of these conditions may require a dental implant. Modern dental implants are placed directly inside the bone itself rather than in the root area. This makes them stronger than older methods used for dental implants. Most modern implant procedures are successful with very few patients reporting problems. Many problems reported are associated with improper placement of the dental implant.
There is another issue associated with dental implants and smoking.
Smoking has been known to cause dental implants to fail altogether. Once a dental implant has been placed, there is a period of recovery. The gums need to repair themselves and bond around the implant that has been placed. This is why many people avoid a dental implant procedure for fear of the body rejecting the implant. Generally, healthy people with good blood circulation are preferred candidates for dental implants. A person who smokes will create problems for the gums. The exposure of the raw gum to smoke and the general effect that smoking has on the health of the mouth both contribute to the possibility of the body rejecting the dental implant. While this is rare for most people who have implants, the chances are much higher for smokers than for non smokers. For this reason, many doctors require their patients to give up smoking over a period of time before they perform a dental implant procedure.