Many experts consider dental implants the ideal way to replace lost teeth because of their unique advantages. Unlike dentures and bridges, they involve surgically placing a support pole into your jaw to function like a root. As a result, they look and act more like natural teeth than the alternative solutions.
Plus, they typically have an incredibly high success rate of more than 90%. However, if you’re vitamin D deficient, you may be more likely to experience dental implant failure. Continue reading to learn more about boosting your levels can support your new teeth!
What Does Vitamin D Do?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that’s absorbed from the foods you eat and stored in your body’s tissues. It’s an essential ingredient for healthy teeth and bones because it allows your body to absorb their building blocks, calcium and phosphorus, in the digestive tract. Without enough vitamin D, your enamel and bones can become weak, frail, or prone to injury.
It also supports your body in other ways, like boosting your immune system, regenerating muscle tissues, and carrying messages from nerves around your body to your brain.
How Does Vitamin D Impact Dental Implants?
These restorations get their strength and stability from the titanium rod that’s embedded directly into your jawbone. It can take anywhere from three to six months to heal after your procedure because that’s how long it takes your body to complete the osseointegration process.
Every time you bite down or chew, the pole of your implant stimulates bone growth in your jaw. Eventually, it generates enough material to fully envelop and fuse with the metallic material so it becomes a permanent part of your mouth.
Without sufficient vitamin D levels, you might not complete this stage or recovery successfully, resulting in an unstable implant that’s more likely to fail.
How Can I Get More Vitamin D?
A simple blood test with your dentist or doctor can let you know whether you need more vitamin D. Fortunately, increasing your levels isn’t usually too difficult. For instance, you can consume it in certain foods, like fatty fish and egg yolks. You can also eat other dairy products, cereals, and fruit juices that are fortified with it or as pill supplements.
However, the easiest way to boost your levels is by taking a 15-to-20-minute walk outside on a bright day during peak sunlight hours. Your skin produces all the vitamin D you need for the day when exposed to ultraviolet rays.
As you can see, improving your vitamin D can help you recover effectively from implant surgery without developing complications!
About the Practice
At Ross & Sourlis Family Dentistry of Rock Hill, you and your loved ones benefit from three dentist eager to help you build and maintain happy, healthy smiles. Dr. Coombs, Dr. Ross, and Dr. Sourlis work together to provide a comprehensive menu of services to people of all ages at one convenient location. They partner with the best local specialists for accurate implant placement, then provide resilient, lifelike restorations customized to look and feel as much like your natural teeth as possible. If you need to rebuild your grin’s appearance and functionality after tooth loss, you can request an appointment on the website or call (803) 324-5301.