“What happens if I smoke after getting dental implants?”

Hello,

There are several factors that come into play when smoking after having implants placed. This is because smoking can impact implants in a variety of ways. First of all, if the implant was placed at the same time the tooth was extracted; it is possible to get a case of dry socket. Any time there is a a vacuum (dragging on a cigarette or drinking through a straw) created in the mouth after an extraction, there is a risk of losing the blood clot after that extraction, which is the definition of dry socket (alveolar osteitis). Secondly, the chemicals in cigarette smoking cause a delay in wound healing. This can affect the implant differently depending on how the implant is placed. Usually there is an incision in the gingiva (gums) which will get delayed on healing. It also takes at least 3 months for the the bone to heal around a dental implant to stabilize it. This can be longer in a person that smokes. Finally, smoking increases the likelihood of periodontal disease. The chemicals in cigarette smoke impair the immune system which causes the gingiva and jaw bone to recede. This is the effect of periodontal disease and teeth as well as implants become less stable and over time the ability to fall out.
Hope this helps.

My best to you!

William F. Scott IV, DMD

You will lose them.

Inhaling smoke provides contamination on the surface where the smoke actually touches the wound in addition the particulates that are absorbed into the bloodstream and are brought to the wound through the blood vessels. Any contamination can decrease wound healing capabilities and increase the risk of the implant not connecting to the tissues of the bone and skin.
This would be a great time to give up smoking! It's not a healthy practice for any structure in the mouth or the lungs. If you are unable to quit or continue to smoke, just realize you are
decreasing the chance of success long-term.

SMOKING has several potential problem causing effects on implants. The constant irritation to gums, the toxins that smoking brings to the oral cavity by increasing the temperature, by upsetting the normal flora and bacterial balance and creating a constant negative where any slight irritation can become a bigger problem and eventual loss of the implant.

You may interfere with you bodies' ability to form new living bone around the implants. Rates of failures of dental implants are higher in smokers.
This concern,however, is really lower on the scale. You should quit smoking as soon as you can at almost any cost. It is well known that smoking will shorten you life, make you less able to enjoy life, cost you a lot of money and make you and your surroundings (house, car, clothing, furniture, etc) smell bad - i.e. stink.
So instead of worrying about the effect of smoking on your implants quit smoking and improve your life.

Hopefully nothing will happen, however, smoking has been linked to increased likelihood of poor or delayed healing around the implant, and questionable long-term success.

Smoking is contraindicated in patients that have dental implants or plan on having dental surgery of any type as the tissue is deprived of necessary oxygen for cell healing and ongoing cell maintenance. Bone loss occurs around dental implants with a chronic infection.

EDward M Amet DDS

The leading cause of dental implant (and for that matter natural teeth) failure is smoking. Your risk having a problem with your dental implant or your natural teeth. Smoking is an expensive terrible habit. That negatively impacts not only your mouth but body. Get help and try to quit. Your body will thank you.

You will have poor wound healing, bone loss around implants, dry socket, and failure of implant.