3 Long-Term Care Tips For Your Dental Implants

Missing teeth not only detract from the beauty of your smile but can also be damaging to your oral health. Dental implants are a great choice when it comes to replacing teeth that have been lost due to injury, damage, or decay.

Dental implants function much the same way as natural teeth. Since a dental implant is connected directly to the jawbone, this bone still receives the stimulation it needs to avoid deterioration. This preserves the health of the jawbone and prevents any changes in the shape of your jawline.

If you have recently had one or more dental implants placed in your mouth, it's critical that you know how to care for these dental devices properly. Only implants that are cared for properly will be able to successfully complete your smile in the future.

1. Avoid Abrasive Products

It's important that you continue to brush and floss daily after you have a dental implant placed. You may, however, need to change the products that you use to brush your teeth. You want to avoid any products that are abrasive in nature.

Whitening toothpaste, polishing toothpaste, and stiff-bristle brushes all have the potential to damage your new implant.

A porcelain crown is attached to every dental implant once the post connected to the jawbone has fully healed in place. These porcelain crowns are not quite as durable as your natural teeth. Using abrasive toothpaste or a stiff toothbrush could lead to scratches on the surface of your implant crown.

Choose a toothbrush with soft nylon bristles and a toothpaste made for sensitive teeth to avoid causing any damage to your dental implant when brushing your teeth in the future.

2. Use Special Floss

Flossing is an absolute must for anyone with dental implants. A very small space exists between the bottom of the implant crown and your natural gums. This space can serve as a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and plaque.

Plaque buildup around the base of a dental implant is not uncommon. An accumulation of plaque can contribute to oral hygiene issues like bad breath and gum disease.

Specialized floss products made specifically for people with dental implants are available through your dentist. These specialized flosses won't get caught beneath your implant crown, allowing you to floss more effectively over time.

3. Visit Your Dentist Regularly

Just because you have replaced damaged or missing teeth with dental implants doesn't mean that you can forego routine checkups with your dentist. It's important that you continue to see your dentist regularly following the placement of your implants.

These checkups give your dentist the opportunity to evaluate the stability of the implant. Your dentist can also check for any signs of a possible infection at the implant site.

If implant instability and infection are not caught early, they can be difficult to treat. You may end up losing the implant altogether and experiencing some deterioration of your jawbone when you fail to address problems with your dental implant.

Routine checkups with your dentist can prevent serious complications and ensure that your dental implants remain functional and healthy over time.

Dental implants can be a permanent and long-lasting option for replacing missing teeth. Today's dental professionals can use implants to replace a single missing tooth or several adjoining teeth that are missing.

In order for your dental implants to provide you with a full range of benefits, you must care for them properly. Avoid foods that might damage your implant (like sweets or sticky items), use the right tools when brushing and flossing your implants, and work closely with your dentist to ensure no post-operative issues arise once your implants have been set.