6 Tips To Care For Your Dental Implants

Dental implants have revolutionized the field of dentistry, providing a long-lasting and natural-looking solution for replacing missing teeth. Whether you have recently undergone a dental implant procedure or are considering getting one in the future, proper care and maintenance are essential to ensure the longevity and success of your implants. Here are six valuable tips to help you care for your dental implants and maintain optimal oral health.

1. Toothbrush and Toothpaste Choices

Make it a habit to clean your teeth thoroughly after each meal to avoid tartar and plaque buildup. Use a brush with soft bristles to safeguard your dental health and prolong the implant's life. Use a thorough technique to gently brush the implanted tooth and its surrounding area, but do not use too much force as it can harm your implant. You can also use interproximal brushes to reach places that are otherwise inaccessible.

Dental professionals recommend using low-abrasive toothpaste without sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or stain-remover chemicals to care for dental implants. These ingredients might cause the acrylic layer to wear out and the glaze to peel off porcelain implants.

Drugstores and supermarkets stock toothpaste developed for people with dental implants. Alternatively, you can ask your dentist for a recommendation. Also, use toothpaste without whitening compounds as it is less abrasive than whitening toothpaste.

2. Dental Floss

Regular flossing can help avoid gum disease, which may culminate in implant failure. The dentist must place a temporary tooth over the implant before it fuses with the jawbone, making flossing even more crucial. You should floss the area around the implant thoroughly to remove plaque and food particles. 

If you fail to floss, plaque and bacteria can build up around the gums and implant, leading to dental and gum issues. Flossing can also help fight against cavities and foul breath. Traditional floss is the best way to clean between your teeth, but if you find it too much of a hassle, consider using a water flosser as a better option.

3. Food Choices

To prevent damage to the implant's exterior prosthesis, avoid eating anything too hard, crunchy, or chewy for a couple of weeks. During this time, you should also stay away from tough foods like candy, caramel, ice, potato chips, taco shells, gritty bread, apples, steak, and dried fruits. In addition, eat meals high in vitamins and minerals to maintain healthy gums, as keeping the gums in good health will help prevent infection and harm to the implants.

4. Dental Trauma Prevention

Dental implants are susceptible to harm from blows to the mouth because they consist of a more delicate material than real teeth. If you play contact sports or suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding), a custom-fitted sports mouthguard is the best approach to protect your dental implants from injury. Also, do not use toothpicks to get rid of food particles because they can chip, fracture, or otherwise harm the implant.

5. Alcohol and Smoking

Your dental implants may not last as long or help you if you have unhealthy habits like drinking alcohol or smoking. Because of the sugars in alcoholic beverages, alcohol can contribute to dental caries and hasten the development of plaque surrounding an implant, increasing the likelihood of infection.

Conversely, smoking decreases the amount of oxygen and nutrients reaching the implant, which slows recovery time following a dental implant treatment. Smoking also increases the possibility of infection and implant failure by weakening the gums surrounding the implant. For optimal protection of your dental implants, you should abstain from alcohol and cigarettes or cut back significantly.

6. Dental Check-ups

Ensure you visit your dentist regularly for dental implant cleaning and care. Your dentist or oral health professional will check for damage, infection, or disease by visually inspecting your implants and the region around them at each appointment. In addition, if you notice any changes, such as discomfort or inflammation in your mouth, you should visit your dentist immediately.

Contact us at Bochiechio Personalized Dentistry for dentist and orthodontics services in Depew, NY.