Dental implants are some of the most effective tooth replacements, as their ten-year success rate sits between 90-95%. With that said, what if you want to further ensure your own posts work well? The answer is simple – get more vitamin D! This mineral will help your implant posts work in the long run, reducing their risk of early failure. As for the details, read on to learn how vitamin D can make dental implants succeed.
Remember Dental Implant Fusion
To learn why vitamin D helps dental implants, you must first grasp how implant posts work. The final answer won’t make sense to you otherwise.
Note that dental implants don’t operate like dentures or dental bridges. Unlike these other restorations, the posts are directly placed in your jaw’s empty sockets. The implants will then fuse with your jawbone until they become permanent parts of your mouth. Through this process (i.e., osseointegration), your posts will remain stable and secure; they won’t ever slip or fall out.
So, Where Does Vitamin D Fit In?
For starters, vitamin D makes the implant fusion process smoother. The nutrient also reduces your risk of oral infections while you heal from surgery.
Vitamin D is known to help your body absorb calcium. That means it promotes bone growth in your jaw – something that ensures you have tissue for the implant fusion. Given that fact, vitamin D will make your implants more likely to stay firmly in place.
On the second point, vitamin D boosts your immune system. The nutrient helps your body fight off infections, thus reducing the risk that you’ll get gum disease. This effect is crucial because infected gums often cause early implant failure.
How to Get More Vitamin D
Vitamin D only makes dental implants succeed if you get enough of it. So, up your intake by using these tips:
- Eat the Right Foods – As it turns out, foods like beef liver, fatty fish, and fortified dairy have loads of vitamin D. Eating more of them can thus help your implants.
- Take Supplements – When foods aren’t available, get vitamin D from a supplement. The best brands offer 600-800 international units (IU) per vitamin capsule.
- Do Some Tanning – Your body will produce more vitamin D when it’s exposed to sunlight. Therefore, try tanning outside more; twenty minutes daily would be a good start.
If you have any other questions about vitamin D and dental implants, talk to your dental provider. They’ll gladly address your concerns!
About the Practice
Newton Corner Dental Care is based in Newton, MA. Led by Drs. Gretchen Anjomi and Drew Davis, our practice strives to give each patient truly world-class dentistry. That means we tailor our preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments to your smile, all while using state-of-the-art technology! Rest assured that our team can make anyone’s grin strong and beautiful for life! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (617)-332-6232.
