In the long run, dental implants often turn out well. Their success rate after ten years even sits at around 95%! Still, maybe you want an extra edge to ensure your implants work. The good news is that there’s a simple way to improve their odds: get more vitamin D! As it turns out, this nutrient helps implants function more effectively. Your Dix Hills dentist will even explain why. To that end, read on to learn how vitamin D can make dental implants successful.

Context: Dental Implants & Their Placement Process

Vitamin D only helps dental implants due to how these replacement teeth work. That being the case, it’s helpful to review the implant process before anything else. Having these facts in mind lets you see how a vitamin can help your implant posts.

You see, dental implants don’t sit on your gums like dentures and dental bridges do. Dentists place them in your jaw’s empty sockets – the spaces left by your missing teeth. That way, the posts will slowly fuse with your jawbone until they become fully secure. This process (i.e., osseointegration) keeps your new teeth stable and prevents them from slipping around.

How Does Vitamin D Help Dental Implants?

Given how they’re placed, vitamin D helps dental implants by doing two crucial things. These effects are:

More Effective Implant Fusion

Vitamin D builds and supports your bones, as it lets your body absorb calcium to strengthen bone tissue.

As a result, this nutrient makes the implant fusion process more effective. The bone growth it causes raises the odds of your implant posts’ success.

Reduced Risk of Post-Op Infections

Because it’s an anti-inflammatory, vitamin D strengthens your immune system against infections. That effect can ensure your implants’ success by reducing your risk of gum disease. Since infected gums tend to cause implant failure, avoiding them ensures you can recover from treatment more smoothly.

Ways to Get More Vitamin D

As you’d expect, vitamin D only benefits your dental implants if you get plenty of it. Try using these tips and tricks to up your intake:

• Eat a Vitamin-Rich Diet – If you eat more fatty fish, beef liver, and fortified dairy, your meals will give you a lot of vitamin D.
• Take Supplements – When a vitamin-rich meal isn’t possible, try getting vitamin D from a supplement. An ideal brand will put your levels at 600-800 international units (IU).
• Do Some Sunbathing  – Your body naturally produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. So, go outside and do some tanning; twenty minutes daily should be a fine amount.

Vitamin D can make dental implants successful, but only when you get enough. Use the methods above so your new teeth stick around for the long haul.

About the Practice

Dix Hills Family Dentistry is based in Dix Hills, NY. Led by Drs. Raj Gaur and Subha Soni-Gaur, our practice makes all-inclusive dental care one of its highest aims. That means we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services, as well as advanced and emergency dentistry when needed. Our team is just as versed in top-tier dental implants as it is your standard dental checkup! For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (631)-673-8040.