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The latest on smoking and implants

News

  Posted by: Dental Design      15th February 2019

When National No Smoking Day was first held on Ash Wednesday in 1984, an estimated 39 per cent

of the adult population smoked. Since then, many have quit and fewer take up smoking. However, 19.7 per cent of people aged 25-34 in Britain still smoke, with almost 100,000 smokers dying every year from smoking-related causes…

Public Policy

Cost: In the UK, tobacco is taxed heavily with a duty of 16.5 per cent of the retail price plus £4.57, with a further 20 per cent in VAT added to a pack of 20 cigarettes. While some have argued that we may be reaching the point where further increases to cost see diminishing returns, the consensus is that with most smokers starting during their teens, making tobacco prohibitively expensive should see continued reductions.

Bans: The introduction of legislation to ban smoking inside workplaces and public buildings came into force UK-wide in 2007. While initially controversial, surveys indicate the move is now broadly accepted, with around 75 per cent of people opposing overturning the ban and only 12 per cent in favour of getting rid of it.

The above measures, in concert with improved education on the effects of smoking, have seen a substantial decline in tobacco usage from its peak. However, there are still millions of smokers and eliminating the practise is unlikely for the foreseeable future.

Oral Health effects

Smoking increases a patient’s risk of dental caries, periodontal disease, and oral cancer. It can also cause halitosis, impair taste and smell, stain natural teeth and restorations, as well as delayed wound healing following procedures. A 10-year study of smokers found that smoking increased the incidence of periodontal disease and loss of periodontal bone height.

Smoking can negatively affect the outcomes of almost all therapeutic procedures performed in the oral cavity, including dental implant treatment. Numerous studies and reviews have found that though smoking does adversely affect osseointegration and healing, increasing the failure rate of implants, it should not be considered a contraindication to treatment.

Patients should of course be informed about the harmful effects of smoking, and should be advised to stop for at least two weeks prior to surgery and during the initial healing phase at a minimum.

If you encounter a complex implant case, perhaps exacerbated by the patient’s smoking, or you are simply inexperienced in the required treatment – Ten Dental can help. Ten Dental provides an exceptional implant referral service, dealing with cases of all levels of complexity from single teeth to full mouth restorations and bone grafts. As a history of smoking is not always a contraindication for implants, Ten Dental can consult and ensure the best treatment is found for your patient.

Many smokers could benefit from implants, and with the right care they can. Visit www.tendental.com for more information, or call us on 020 33932623

About the author

Dr. Nikhil Sisodia is an implant surgeon and the co-founder of Ten Dental. He is a Fellow of the international congress of Oral implantology, a Member of the international Team for implantology and a Member of the association of Dental implantology. a member of the British academy of aesthetic Dentistry and a past President of the British academy of cosmetic Dentistry, Nik lectures nationally and internationally on all aspects of implant and restorative dentistry. Nik keeps a personal blog at www. niksisodia.com


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