Getting the best results from your dental implants is a team effort. We will do our part in ensuring you get the best procedure. We will make sure you’re a good candidate, do everything to prepare you for your implants, plan the procedure properly, execute it flawlessly, and do checkups to make sure everything is progressing as it should.
But you also have a part to play in getting the most from your dental implants. First, you have to choose a skilled and experienced implant dentist like Dr. Doolin. Next, you have to follow all our pre- and post-operative instructions. And that includes making sure you’re getting all the essential nutrients in your diet to help your bones heal and integrate the dental implant.
We’ll start by talking about the vitamins that play essential roles in your bone healing and talk about good sources for them so that you can incorporate them in your diet. In another blog, we’ll talk about the minerals you need, too.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A helps your body make bone-breaking cells called osteoclasts. It might not seem like stimulating bone-breaking cells is a good idea for healing, but it’s an essential part of the process. It ensures that your body builds new, strong bone around dental implants and ensures that all your bones are properly supplied with blood.
Unfortunately, nearly half of all Americans don’t get enough vitamin A, so the odds are good that you need to add it to your diet. However, if you are going to add it, try adding it in the form of beta-carotene, which your body can change to vitamin A as needed, but won’t risk vitamin A overdose.
Vitamin B
Three types of vitamin B are important for bone growth, vitamins B6, B9, and B12. These help regulate blood compounds vital to supplying healthy bones.
Unfortunately, about 40-45% of people don’t get enough vitamin B. For B6 and B12, meat is usually the best source. However for B9, the best natural source is dark green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is necessary for your body to utilize calcium for bone growth and other uses.
Vitamin D is unusual because it’s a vitamin our body can produce. All you need is sunshine on your skin. Unfortunately, at this time of year that’s easier said than done at this time of year in Detroit. Most of us experience low vitamin D levels in the winter, so it’s a good idea to add fatty fish, liver, mushrooms, and cheese to your diet to increase vitamin D intake.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is D’s partner in helping your body use calcium. If you don’t have enough of it, you’re more likely to develop osteoporosis.
Unfortunately, most of us are low on vitamin K, too, although it’s a less seasonal shortage than vitamin D. To increase vitamin K intake, eat liver and dark green leafy vegetables. You can also switch out one of your cups of coffee for a green tea.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is critical to bone health. It helps stimulate the production and action of osteoblasts, the cells that build bone. It also helps the body build the fibrous soft tissue parts of bones, including the scaffolding that precedes hard bone formation in healing.
People tend to be better about getting vitamin C at this time of year, but if your levels are low, eat citrus, kiwi, cantaloupe, mango, papaya, and many other brightly colored fruits.
A Great Partnership for Great Results
By ensuring you get these essential vitamins for healing around your dental implants, you are doing your part to ensure you get great results from your dental implants.
If you are looking for an implant dentist in the Detroit area who is also committed to great results, please call (248) 656-2020 today for an appointment at Doolin Haddad Advanced Dentistry in Rochester.
