Listen to Your Dentist When They Recommend Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Do you plan on having dental implants installed but are currently dealing with thrush? Thrush is an oral health issue where your gums have open sores on them, which can make the process of getting dental implants difficult. You'll need to treat your thrush problem before you can move forward with getting implants. Here is what you need to know about thrush and how it affects the dental implant procedure.

Understanding Thrush

The best way to describe thrush is how it is similar to an oral yeast infection. They are painful patches that are white in color and that form on your inner cheeks, gums, and tongue. It is possible for the infection to spread further into your mouth and reach your throat or the soft and hard palate.

The type of yeast that causes thrush lives in your mucous membranes or skin surfaces, which include your throat and mouth. The yeast tends to grow more after you are sick or have an infection, and yeast from your stomach can even spread to the mouth and throat if you have a digestive issue. Thrush can go away by itself, but it can impact the process of getting implants if you still have it.

Dealing With Thrush

Your dentist may prescribe you an antifungal medication to help fight the thrush problem you are experiencing, but it is possible that your thrush may return after getting dental implants. The implants depend on forming a strong bond with your gums and jawbone, and thrush can cause complications with that bond.

The white patches caused by thrush cause your gums to become weak, and it has the capability to create an infection that spreads down to your jawbone by traveling through blood vessels. If the jawbone becomes weak, the implants can potentially fail and not form the strong bond that is necessary.

Treating Thrush

There are several things that you could do to treat thrush and prevent it from coming back. Try introducing healthy bacteria to your body by eating plain yogurt, and avoiding yogurt that has artificial sugar or preservatives. Those ingredients are known to reduce the health benefits of eating yogurt and cause aggravation to your body's immune system and digestive system. You should also continue taking any antifungal medications as prescribed by your dentist, and do not stop taking them after you notice the symptoms were gone.

Speak to a dentist at a clinic like Centre Family Dentistry for more information about dealing with thrush while getting dental implants.