How Infections Form After Getting a Dental Implant

Before a dentist to place a dental implant in your mouth, they must first insert the implant into your jawbone. After that heals and fuses to your bone, the dentist can complete the process. Once the implant is placed in your mouth, you will have to wait months for the dentist to complete the rest of the steps, and during this time you will need to try to avoid infections in your mouth. Here are several things to understand about this.

Dental Implants Take Time

It often takes months for an implant to fuse to a person's jawbone, yet this process must occur for the implant to hold the artificial tooth and remain in place for the rest of the person's life. A lot of people hating waiting for this to happen, but it really is one of the most vital parts of the process.

During this waiting time, you will want to try your hardest to prevent infections from forming in the area where the dentist performed the work, and you will also want to do everything you can to promote fast healing.

Things That Cause Infections and Problems with Healing

If your implant becomes infected as the bone is trying to fuse with it, it will delay healing. It could also cause the implant to come loose or fall out, and it could require that you undergo the same procedure once again.

Infections near dental implants can happen to anyone; however, they are more likely to happen to people who do not have good oral care habits each day. Without good oral care habits, your mouth might contain too much bacteria, and it is the bacteria that can lead to an infection developing.

In addition to this, people who have major health problems or people who smoke may also be more prone to developing infections. Not only can these things lead to infections, though, they can also cause delays in healing. A person with a weak immune system will not heal as quickly, and this increases the person's risk of developing an infection. People who smoke heal slower too, which is why your dentist will recommend cutting out this habit until the implant heals completely.

If your implant does not heal fast enough or properly, you may encounter problems with it, which is why dentists offer instructions after installing an implant. If you have questions about this or if you are interested in getting implants, contact a dental clinic today.