If you have lost a tooth, then your best option for reconstruction may involve dental implants. If you have excellent oral hygiene and good bone mass across the jaw, then your dentist may indicate that you are a good candidate for an immediate load device. This type of implant involves the placement of the implant root and crown tooth during the same procedure. The device will reduce the number of treatments that are required to complete the implantation, and the implant will be aesthetically pleasing immediately after surgery. Immediate load dental implants do not allow your jaw bone to heal though, before you start using your tooth. This can result in complications, so follow the tips below to make sure your implant is successful.
Encourage Good Bone Mass
After your dental implant is secured, you must go through the process of oseointegration. This occurs when bone cells grow around the implant root to secure it in the jaw. Most dental implants contain small holes across the titanium root that help with adhesion. Oseointegration can take up to six months to complete. If you fail to provide your body with the right nutrients to encourage bone growth, then the implant may not secure properly. This means you should eat the right foods to make sure that the bone cells grow properly around the implant root.
Increase Calcium Intake
Your jaw bone needs a variety of different minerals to grow properly around your implant root. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the bones, but your body uses calcium for nerve and muscle function. This means that you need to increase your calcium intake substantially to make sure your bones are provided with the calcium they need to encourage new growth. On average, your body needs between 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day. Increase this amount to 1,500 or 2,000 milligrams of calcium to make sure your jaw bone can build new cells.
It is wise to eat foods high in calcium to increase your daily intake, because the mineral absorbs better when supplied through food instead of supplements. You should not eat foods that are hard after implant surgery, so consider eating steamed broccoli, cooked spinach, ice cream, and yogurt.
Provide Magnesium
Magnesium is also an important nutrient you need after an immediate load implant procedure, because the mineral helps to force the calcium in your body to your bone tissues. The mineral also helps to ensure proper density so the bone around your implant is not porous or weak. Spinach and broccoli contain magnesium as well as calcium, so consider eating two servings of these foods every day. Avocados and bananas are good sources of magnesium as well.
Reduce Pressure on the Teeth
If you place a substantial amount of pressure on your implant tooth during the beginning stages of oseointegration, then the implant root may shift or fail. Your dentist will ask you not to chew on ice or to eat hard and chewy foods. You also need to be careful of bad habits that include nail biting and nervous pen chewing. If you have a bruxism, or a nighttime tooth grinding problem, then you may also disrupt the jaw healing process. If your jaw is tight or painful in the morning, then consider asking your dentist for a bruxism guard to wear at night to reduce the pressure on your jaw.
Prevent Tooth Grinding
Once you start wearing a mouth guard, consider helping your jaw relax in the evening by gently massaging the joints. Use your fingers to rub the muscles where your upper and lower jaw meet. Open your mouth slightly and shift your lower jaw side to side to help loosen the muscles. Also, try to reduce your caffeine intake in the evening. Caffeine can cause your muscles to clench and twitch and this can force your jaw to tighten at night. Soda, coffee, tea, and chocolate all contain some caffeine, so stay away from these food items several hours before you go to bed.
If you want an immediate dental implant, then you need to make sure that the root of the device properly secures in your jaw bone. Increasing your intake of bone building minerals and reducing jaw pressure can assist you with this.
