You know that your teeth can decay from foods and beverages that contain a lot of sugar. But once you have titanium dental implants and ceramic or porcelain teeth put in, do you still need to worry about how what you drink impacts them?
Yes, you definitely do. When you first have dental implants installed, it's vital that your body get the right nutrition to heal -- which usually doesn't include alcohol or sugary drinks.
And while the replacement teeth cannot decay, sugar-eating bacteria can still congregate between the implant crowns and your gums, leading to periodontal disease. Plus, specific types of beverages can impact your overall health, which makes a difference to your oral health as well. Here's a quick look:
Alcohol
Alcohol can make it harder to heal. So if you are drinking more than one or two drinks a week, the alcohol can slow your body's ability to form blood clots or to heal internally from the initial surgery to put in the implant post.
Heavy drinking can also lead to bone loss, which will make it harder for implants to osseointegrate properly into your jaw bone. If you already have your implants, there is a higher risk of failure from bone loss. A study done on rabbits showed that there was 49.5 percent less bone growing around the implant in animals that were given alcohol before and after the implants.
Drinking alcohol also makes the blood vessels in your mouth dilate, so you are more sensitive to pain and inflammation. It may be harder for you to have implants because of your increased sensitivity.
Caffeinated Beverages
Coffee, tea and some sodas all contain caffeine, which can slow absorption of some nutrients to your body. This has a direct impact when it comes to how your body absorbs calcium and magnesium, both of which are needed to build and maintain bone, and Vitamin D, which helps your body properly use minerals.
Drinking beverages with caffeine causes your body to lose minerals faster. Every cup of coffee, for example, contains about 150 milligrams of caffeine, which can cause you to lose 5 mg of calcium from your body.
Soda
As mentioned with caffeinated beverages, soda can reduce your body's ability to intake minerals, leading to bone loss. One serving of a soft drink also contains as much as 500 milligrams of phosphoric acid; 4,000 milligrams can impact your health and your ability to absorb other minerals.
Also, because of the carbon dioxide that makes the bubbles in soda, these drinks tend to be acidic. Just like the acid can have an impact on tooth enamel, it can also cause erosion on your ceramic and porcelain implant crowns. While it will take longer to cause structural damage, the surface of the crown can become uneven, which makes it more likely to stain.
Couple that with the dark colors of many soda drinks, you risk discoloring or staining your implant crowns by drinking soda.
Fruit Juice
While juice can have some nutritive value, the sugars present still make direct contact with your oral tissues and can cause issues with your gum health. Some types of fruit juices can also stain implant crowns, so it's important to limit your consumption. Try to get your nutrition through whole fruit instead; the fiber is beneficial to your overall health.
Water
The need for proper hydration is high with implants, especially when you've recently had them put in. Other drinks can de-hydrate you, so make sure you are consuming enough water to counteract the impact of caffeinated beverages and alchohol.
Talk to your dentist about how your choice of beverage can impact your dental implants.
Share17 March 2016
