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Dental implants rely on precise healing and long-term bone support to succeed. Smoking disrupts both, increasing the risk of complications and implant failure.
Table of Contents
- How Smoking Affects Dental Implant Healing and Long-Term Success
- Why Smoking Increases the Risk of Dental Implant Failure
- Can You Smoke With Dental Implants?
- Dental Implants in Boulder, CO
- FAQs
How Smoking Affects Dental Implant Healing and Long-Term Success
Smoking affects dental implant outcomes in three ways:
- Reduces blood flow to the gums and jawbone
- Interferes with bone integration around the implant
- Increases the risk of infection during healing
These effects slow healing and compromise the stability of the implant during the critical recovery period.
As a result, dental implants placed in smokers have higher failure rates than those placed in non-smokers. Smoking before or after implant surgery is associated with increased complications and reduced long-term success.
Why Smoking Increases the Risk of Dental Implant Failure
Smoking negatively affects the body’s ability to heal, resist infection, and maintain stable bone around dental implants. This occurs through several biological effects:
- Reduced blood supply to the gums and jawbone: Nicotine constricts blood vessels and limits oxygen and nutrient delivery to the surgical site. This slows healing and increases the risk of infection.
- Interference with osseointegration: Dental implants require the surrounding bone to bond tightly to the implant surface. Tobacco chemicals disrupt bone-forming cells and weaken this bond, increasing the risk of implant failure.
- Weakened immune response: Smoking suppresses immune function in oral tissues, limiting the body’s ability to control inflammation and respond to infection. This includes peri-implantitis, an inflammatory condition that affects the tissue and bone surrounding a dental implant and can compromise its stability.
- Progressive bone loss around implants: Long-term smoking accelerates jawbone loss, reduces implant stability, and raises the likelihood of complications or implant removal.
Together, these effects account for higher implant failure rates in smokers and a greater risk of healing delays and complications.
Can You Smoke With Dental Implants?
Smoking is not recommended with dental implants. Patients are advised to stop smoking at least two weeks, but ideally six weeks, before surgery and avoid smoking for four to six months after implant placement, when tissue recovery and bone integration are most active. Quitting smoking during this period supports:
- Osseointegration
- Infection resistance
- Bone stability
- Long-term implant survival
Continuing to smoke increases the risk of complications and implant failure, even after initial healing.
Dental Implants in Boulder, CO
At Foley & Le Oral Surgery, patients receive individualized implant planning, surgical care, and clear guidance to support healing before and after treatment.
For more information about dental implants or to schedule a consultation, contact Foley & Le Oral Surgery at (303) 444-2255.
FAQs
Smokers have a significantly lower dental implant success rate than non-smokers. Research shows that implant failure rates in smokers are up to four times higher, and the risk continues to increase with the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
Yes. Smoking causes measurable changes in oral tissues, including reduced blood flow, inflammation, and delayed healing, which experienced oral surgeons can identify during examination.
Smoking restricts circulation, weakens immune responses, increases inflammation, and accelerates bone loss. These changes impair wound healing and reduce the body’s ability to support long-term implant stability.
