Tips To Take Care of Your Dental Implants
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Dental implants are the most durable, effective, and esthetically pleasing options for replacing missing teeth. Dental implants look, feel, and function like natural teeth, and they also do not require minimal care for their maintenance. However, like our natural teeth, there are some things that you must remember while looking after your implant-supported teeth to ensure their longevity. This blog will offer various tips to help you look after your tooth implants and enjoy a healthy and lasting smile.
1. Oral Hygiene Maintenance
Dental implants are anchored into the jawbone just like natural teeth, and therefore, they require similar oral hygiene care. In the case of natural teeth, plaque and tartar deposition occurs around the tooth roots and inside the gum pockets. Similarly, in the case of implant-supported teeth, the site where an implant is connected to a false tooth, or the abutment, is the area where food impaction may occur, leading to various complications and even implant failure. Therefore, it is essential to ensure optimal cleaning around dental implants.
- Brushing – Brushing is one of the most effective ways to ensure optimal cleaning around natural and implant-supported teeth. The bristles of a toothbrush effectively remove plaque deposits from the tooth and around the implant prostheses, thereby reducing the risk of gum inflammation and peri-implant disease, respectively. Brushing should be done at least twice a day for optimal results.
- Flossing – although brushing is effective, a toothbrush’s bristles cannot penetrate the tight spaces between the teeth and sometimes cannot clean around the implants effectively. This is where flossing becomes useful. Flossing at least once a day helps remove food debris from the teeth and the implant-supported teeth, thereby preventing plaque formation around the implants and natural teeth.
- Interdental Brush – an interdental brush is similar to a conventional toothbrush. However, its bristles are designed to penetrate deeper and more easily into the tight interdental spaces. Therefore, both interdental toothbrushes and dental floss help ensure optimal interdental cleaning and around the implants.
2. Using Implants Only for Chewing
Although dental implants are even harder than natural teeth, this does not mean that you can use them as tools – for opening bottle cans or packages. Dental implants are anchored directly within the jawbone, and the more uneven or excessive forces they have to bear, the higher the chances that they may become loose or develop peri-implant inflammation. Therefore, dental implant-supported should only be used for their chewing.
3. Diet Management
Dental implants allow you to eat all your favorite foods – even the hard ones – within reasonable limits. Therefore, you should be careful not to eat too many sticky or hard foods, such as popcorn, nuts, hard candies, or steaks. Even if you have to eat relatively hard foods like apples, cutting them into pieces instead of biting on them directly is better.
4. Avoid Smoking
Smoking has been linked to a higher risk of dental complications in the oral cavity. Besides, smoking poorly affects one’s overall dental and bone tissue health. Therefore, it is best for individuals with implants to avoid smoking.
5. Regular Dental Checkups
Like natural teeth, dental implants require regular monitoring and follow-ups. The American Academy of Periodontology recommends visiting your dentist regularly – based on a schedule prescribed by your dentist or implantologist – for follow-ups. This ensures that any problem with your implants or their supported teeth is diagnosed early and treated before it can cause permanent damage.
When it comes to dental implants, there is no better tooth replacement option available. However, to ensure that your implant-supported teeth last a lifetime and restore your smile and dental function, it is important to look after them through optimal oral hygiene care and regular dental checkups. If you are interested in learning more about dental implants – or any other dental treatment option – please book an appointment to speak with our implant dentist today!