If you’ve just gotten dental implants in Skokie, you probably want your replacement teeth to succeed. After all, they could restore your smile and let you show off your pearly whites with confidence. Well, it turns out there’s a way you could help your implants: just get some vitamin D! The latter apparently has the power to boost their effectiveness. To learn more, read below about vitamin D’s benefits for implants and tips for getting more of the unique nutrient.
How Does Vitamin D Help My Dental Implants?
In terms of function, vitamin D has roughly two purposes. First, it helps you absorb the minerals calcium and phosphorus, which are the building blocks of bone. Secondly, it helps regulate your body’s immune system. It’s these effects that make your implants more successful.
Improved Jaw Fusion
For an implant to work properly, it has to fuse with your jawbone. However, that fusion process depends on your body’s ability to grow new bone around the replacement tooth. Otherwise, said tooth won’t remain secure and could fall out of your mouth.
Vitamin D helps your body grow bones by letting you absorb calcium and phosphorus. It thus raises the odds that your implant will integrate with your jawbone.
Improved Gum Health
Implants rely on healthy gum tissue to last in the long term. Conditions like gingivitis and gum disease can put them at risk by destroying the bone that supports your teeth.
Among other things, vitamin D has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Such elements boost your immune system, reducing your risk of gum inflammation, infection, etc. In other words, the vitamin strengthens your gums enough that your implants are more likely to be safe.
Tips on Getting Vitamin D
Thankfully, you can get more vitamin D for your implants by practicing certain routines. These include:
- Tanning yourself – Try to catch the sun’s rays for around twenty minutes per day. As a substitute for sunlight, you could also use a UV lamp.
- Taking a daily supplement – A regular vitamin D pill, capsule, or gel alongside your other medications would do your implants well.
- Eating a vitamin-rich diet – Many foods and drinks have vitamin D as one of their ingredients. Notable ones are salmon, canned tuna, egg yolks, and mushrooms.
You don’t have to leave your implants’ success to chance. With the tips above, you can add more vitamin D to your body and make treatment success a certainty!
About the Practice
Dr. Brad Weiss is a dentist in Skokie, IL, having earned his dental doctorate from Indiana University’s School of Dentistry. His alma mater also awarded him the Dentsply International Merit Award for Prosthodontics. He specializes in preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, including emergency treatments like root canal therapy. Dr. Weiss currently practices at Weiss Dental Arts and can be reached at his website or by phone at (847)-864-0188.