How to Care for Your Dental Implants: Maintenance Tips for Longevity
Dental implants effectively restore dental function and aesthetics after tooth loss. Implants offer excellent stability, strength, durability, and aesthetics compared to alternative tooth replacement treatments like dentures and bridges. They are a great option if you want the closest thing to your natural tooth.
However, while dental implants contain artificial materials like titanium, zirconia, and porcelain that won’t develop decay, they are still vulnerable to damage. Thus, good hygiene and care are crucial to ensure your dental implants’ long-term success. In this article, we’ll discuss valuable tips for caring for your dental implants for optimal longevity.
How to Maintain Oral Hygiene with Dental Implants
With or without dental implants, good oral hygiene is essential to prevent oral problems like tooth decay and periodontal disease and maintain a healthy smile. Key practices to incorporate into your daily oral hygiene routine include:
Brushing
Dental experts recommend brushing at least twice daily to eliminate debris, bacteria, and plaque from the teeth, gums, tongue, and mouth. Correct brushing involves using a soft-bristled brush and fluoride toothpaste to strengthen your teeth and minimize their risk of erosion and decay.
Be sure to use small, gentle, circular motions to brush all the surfaces of your teeth and implant for at least two minutes at a time. Avoid aggressive brushing, abrasive toothpaste, and hard-bristled brush, as they can damage your implant and teeth and irritate the gums.
Flossing
Flossing is crucial for removing debris and plaque between your teeth and around your implant. Use a floss threader, interdental brush, or specialized implant floss to navigate the teeth and implant for maximum efficiency carefully.
Thoroughly and gently glide the floss up and down along the sides of the teeth and implants and along the gumline. Be careful to avoid damaging the implant, teeth, or gums. Consult our dentist in Mississauga, ON, to determine the right dental floss.
Regular dental visits
Besides daily brushing and flossing, visiting your dentist for routine dental checkups and cleanings is essential for oral health. Regular dental visits allow the dentist to monitor your mouth and implants and check for potential issues like cavities, decay, and periodontal disease.
If the dentist identifies any issue, they will address it promptly to prevent further damage, helping you maintain a healthy smile. In addition to check-ups, the dentist or hygienist cleans your mouth to remove bacterial plaque and tartar buildup around your teeth and implants. It lowers your risk of oral infections around your implant, teeth, and gums, helping you maintain your smile and implant for the long term.
Additional Tips for Maintaining Dental Implant for a longer time
Other tips for maintaining dental implants and a healthy smile for longevity include:
Follow your dentist’s post-operative instructions
A major factor in ensuring optimal dental implant success is following your dentist’s aftercare instructions strictly. These instructions can include guidelines for medication, diet, oral hygiene, adequate rest, and lifestyle habits like smoking. Adhering to these instructions promotes speedy recovery and ensures long-term implant success.
Watch your diet
A balanced and nutritious diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals is key to maintaining healthy gums, teeth, implants, and the body. To maintain healthy implants, avoid hard food items like ice and raw nuts, which can cause your implant and teeth to chip or break.
Similarly, limit foods and beverages high in sugars and acids as they can increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease, compromising the health of your implant.
Wear a mouthguard
Teeth grinding and clenching can cause excessive pressure on your implant and teeth, causing them to wear down or chip. Using a nightguard when sleeping can reduce the effects of bruxism, helping you maintain healthy implants and smile for the long term. Additionally, you should wear a sports guard to protect your implants and mouth from sports-related accidents.
Avoid tobacco use
Smoking inhibits oxygen and nutrient delivery throughout the body, weakening the immune system and delaying wound healing. It increases the risk of oral infections around the implant.
Smoking is a risk factor for peri-implantitis, an infection or inflammation of the tissues around an implant, which can lead to implant failure. If you smoke, consider quitting or limiting tobacco use to protect the health of your implants, mouth, and overall well-being.
Seek prompt, professional care.
Visit our dentist near you for prompt treatment if you experience persistent discomfort, pain, or changes around your dental implants. Early intervention is essential to prevent complications and secure the long-term success of your dental implants.
Get Dental Implants in Mississauga, ON
Are you interested in dental implants in Mississauga, ON, or do you need more tips for caring for dental implants? Contact Dr. Jeff Levman & Dr. Ilana Wurman to book your consultation today.