If your dentist plans to place dental implants in your mouth soon, and you suffer from periodic bouts of adult thrush, take steps to protect your surgical sites now. Thrush causes open sores on your gums, which prevents your dental implant posts from anchoring or bonding with your jawbones after surgery. If you don't treat your adult thrush now, the implants fail. Here's how adult thrush affects your dental implants during and after surgery, as well as tips to reduce or get rid of the infection before your surgery.

What's Adult Thrush?

Adult thrush is very similar to the the yeast infections that develop in the mouths of children and babies by forming large, white and painful patches on your gums, tongue and inner cheeks. The patches can spread to your throat, hard palate and soft palate.

Thrush is caused by yeasts known as Candida, which lives inside your body's mucous membranes and on the surfaces of your skin. Your mouth and throat contain Candida yeasts as well. 

Thrush develops when yeasts grow to large numbers in your oral cavity after experiencing a virus or severe throat infection. Sometimes, the yeasts inside your stomach spread to your throat and mouth when you have digestive problems, such as diarrhea or inflammation.

Without treatment, adult thrush can seemingly go away on its own. However, this disappearing act places your dental implants at risk for failure.

Can Your Dental Implants Fail Because of Adult Thrush?

Unless you see your dentist for treatment, such as anti-fungal medications and oral cavity cleanings, your adult thrush can return after your dental implant surgery. Dental implants are designed to replace missing teeth, but they also rely on the strength and stability of your jawbones and gums to work properly. 

The large white patches of yeast weaken the surfaces of your gum, which eventually develop open sores that ooze blood and pus. The infection from your gums passes through the blood vessels in your mouth until it reaches your jawbones.

The parts or sites of your jawbones that support your new dental implants becomes unstable and weak. If your adult thrush goes untreated, the cells in your implant sites die or stopping developing.

You can do some things at home to prevent the above problems, including eating healthier foods.

How Can You Get Rid of Adult Thrush?

Strengthen your immune system with plain white yogurt several times a day. Plain white yogurt contains healthy bacteria called Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus that destroy the bad bacteria in your body.

Avoid yogurt that contains artificial sugar, food coloring and preservatives. These ingredients can reduce the healthy benefits of your yogurt by aggravating your digestive system and immune system. Only add unsweetened oats and natural berries to your yogurt for flavor.

Your dentist may prescribe anti-yeast and anti-fungal medications to clear up your adult thrush. Once your yeast infection goes away permanently, your dentist will proceed with your dental implant surgery. 

If you have concerns about adult thrush and dental implants, contact your a dental office likeMerrimack Valley Periodontics for more information.