How to Take Care of Your Dental Implants
Getting dental implants is a popular way to replace missing teeth. When you decide to get implants, you need to realize that you have a responsibility to take care of them. The dentist provides the best care at the dental office, but you need to do your part after the procedure. Getting the best results from your dental implants will require proper care.
Why You Need Dental Implant Care
The best way to ensure that your dental implants last long is through good oral hygiene. This process will involve ensuring effective post-dental implant care. Maintaining healthy gums will help to ensure that the bone structure supporting the implant is healthy. The implant itself does not decay, but failure to ensure proper cleaning can cause inflammation on the implant site.
One sign of inflammation is bleeding, which can lead to bone loss and, eventually, loss of the implant. Taking care of your dental implants is quite simple. The following are some care tips.
Brushing Your Teeth
It is important to clean your teeth regularly to keep your gums healthy. Use a soft-bristle toothbrush to clean single implants. You can use electric or manual toothbrushes but make sure that you brush morning and night. Using a special rubber tip stimulator will help you to achieve the best results.
You should also try to brush after every meal or after having snacks if your lifestyle allows it. Make sure that you choose a toothpaste that is right for your implants. Avoid heavy-duty toothpaste that has abrasive ingredients that can damage the implants.
Regular Flossing
It is important to ensure that you remove all food particles between the gums and teeth. Water flosser works more effectively than simple floss. Make sure that you use the flosser in a low setting to avoid the risk of teeth separation.
Flossing is an important part of dental care that helps to ensure that fluoride penetrates effectively and protects the teeth. You should use special floss that will work more effectively. Use unwaxed floss for your dental implants.
Lifestyle Choices
The choices you make in life will go a long way in affecting your oral health. Make responsible food choices and avoid contaminants that will affect your dental implants. Smoking is bad for your teeth, and this includes dental implants.
Brush your teeth after eating foods that tend to stain, such as berries. Coffee and red wine will also stain your teeth. Other habits to avoid include chewing on hard candy, ice, and other hard items.
Regular Dental Checkup
To ensure the longevity of your dental implants, it is important to get a regular dental checkup. Visiting the dentist will help to improve your dental health. Apart from getting professional cleaning, your dentist will be able to fix small problems before they become serious issues.
Regular visits for a checkup will reduce the need for major problems such as expensive replacements. Dental implants can help you to get back your natural smile. The implants are a great investment, and with proper care, they can last up to 20 years or more.
If you want to know more about dental implants, visit Arlington Dentistry by Design at our offices in Arlington, Virginia. You can also call 703-841-0300 to book an appointment today.
