In order to ensure that your dental implants last a long time, you should clean them every day. But taking care of your implants is about more than just brushing and flossing – there are several ways that you must maintain your implants over time. Today, your local dentist in Hollywood is going to cover the top 10 key tips for maintaining dental implants so you can have a full set of teeth that last a lifetime.
10 Key Tips for Maintaining Dental Implants
Always Brush Your Teeth
It is still important to brush your teeth every day, whether they are real or fake. It is still possible to get food particles stuck in your mouth, which could cause the buildup of bacteria and decay. Brush both your implants and your natural teeth every day.
Use an Approved Mouthwash
Another way to prevent food particles from building up is to rinse your mouth out with an appropriate mouthwash. Your dentist might recommend an antimicrobial wash, which is a great protective tool against infection in the early days of implant healing.
Watch What You Eat
Once you are fully recovered from your dental implant procedure, you can eat pretty much anything you’d like. However, you want to be sure to avoid hard, chewy substances that may cause your implants to chip or break. Since they are made to look and feel like your real teeth, it is important to treat them as such.
Stay Vigilant
While the risk of implant failure may be low, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the symptoms just in case. Common signs include undue pain, swelling, and inflammation around the site of the implants. In order to prevent your dental implant from getting loose, follow proper care instructions as given to you by your dental professional.
Stay in Touch with Your Gum Specialist
Patients in the early, middle, or late stages of gum disease may be at risk for additional complications when getting dental implants. For some, dental implants are the response to tooth loss from severe, untreated periodontitis. It’s a good idea to have your gum doctor in your back pocket. This helps in case you see any signs of infection after getting your dental implants put in.
Schedule Regular Appointments
The best type of dental care is prevention. By seeing your medical professional early and often, you can catch potential dental issues before they grow to be a problem. In the early days of having dental implants, you might need to see your dentist often to follow up on your healing status.
Floss After You Brush
In addition to brushing your teeth every day, it is also a good idea to floss. It is okay to put floss in between each tooth and abutment, which connects each tooth and holds it in place. If you are still feeling a little sensitive, you might want to invest in a water flosser, which uses a high-powered spray of water to remove particles from between your teeth.
Try to Stop Smoking
Your smoking habit could seriously hinder your body’s ability to heal at a regular pace. Tobacco slows down the flow of blood in your bloodstream and poisons your body, causing it to fight harder than it should. To prevent complications, and to diminish any risks of complication, try to start a smoking cessation program.
Don’t Chew Hard Objects
While your new set of teeth will give you the freedom to eat and chew like you used to, you still can’t chew on things that have a chance of destroying your teeth. Ice, for example, can be really bad for both your natural teeth and your implants. Try to stay away from bottle caps, pen caps, hard candy, and taffy.
Follow Healing Instructions
Dental implants typically require a surgical procedure, so there are a few aftercare instructions that patients should know about. It is important to follow the guidelines given by your dentist so you have the best chances of a smooth and happy recovery. Learn more about receiving your own custom set of dental implants in Hollywood when you reach out to us today.