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9 Ways to Care for Your Dental Implants

9 Ways to Care for Your Dental Implants

10 October 2022

Implants can restore the function of your mouth, and your smile, after tooth loss. Implants look and feel like natural teeth and allow you to smile and eat confidently. Implants are an excellent solution for anyone who has lost their tooth due to injury, decay, or gum disease.  

Dental implants, however, require proper care. It is essential to learn how to care for your implants to maintain their longevity properly and aesthetic appeal.

Several problems might arise if your dental implants are not appropriately maintained. If you neglect your oral hygiene, you could have issues including peri-implantitis, bone loss, inflammation, discomfort, and pain.

You must maintain a strict oral hygiene regime once you have dental implants. Otherwise, you could develop peri-implantitis.   

Peri-implantitis refers to gum disease caused by your implants. Your gums can become red and inflamed, similar to periodontal disease. Your gums will be sensitive to touch and may bleed if you floss or brush them.  

Eating can also be painful. Peri-implantitis, which can cause dental implants to become loose, is more than just a painful condition. These are the essential steps to a happy, healthy smile and lasting dental implants. These tips are vital for dental implant care and can help prevent peri-implantitis.

  1. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush  

Avoid hard-bristled toothbrushes. These toothbrushes can cause enamel damage and are especially harmful to dental implants. Hard bristled toothbrushes can easily scratch the implants’ surface, causing irreversible damage.

 It is important only to use soft-bristled toothbrushes after you have dental implants. Look for a soft nylon brush instead! These bristles are soft and flexible so that they won’t cause any damage to your implants.

  1. Avoid abrasive toothpaste  

Any type of abrasion can damage implants. Choose low-abrasive speciality toothpaste.  

Ordinary toothpaste is often very abrasive in removing plaque and stains. Too much roughness can cause damage to the enamel and dentures.

  1. Floss daily  

Flossing can remove food particles and plaque between teeth that cannot be removed with brushing alone. Flossing is essential for anyone with dental implants. Plaque can quickly build up around dental implants, harming oral health.  

It is essential to switch to implant-friendly floss. Daily flossing should be done with unwaxed floss or implant-specific floss.  

  1. Good oral hygiene is essential  

After receiving dental implants, you should brush your teeth twice daily. To protect your implants for many more years, use non-abrasive products.

A sensitive toothpaste, soft-bristled toothbrush, alcohol-free mouthwash, and floss made specifically for implants are all essential. You should avoid cleaning agents containing baking soda, bleach, or chlorine since they may permanently weaken or destroy your implants.

We recommend that you avoid highly flavoured or scented oral hygiene products (such as mint and cinnamon), as they can cause discomfort.

  1. Avoid eating hard, hot or sticky food  

Avoid hard food, as it can cause damage to your implants. Sticky foods can also stick to your implants and encourage plaque buildup.  

Stay away from the following foods if you have implants: ice, hard candies, hardshell tacos, potato chips, carrots, apples, crusty bread, caramel, dried fruits, and steak.

Hot water or hot food products (such as soups) may also distort the shape of your implants.  

  1. Limit alcohol consumption  

Sugary alcohol is a major cause of tooth decay in normal teeth. But, it is also problematic for dental implant placements. It speeds up plaque accumulation and slows down healing after dental implant surgery. You must avoid alcohol for six months after your dental implant procedure.  

  1. Stop smoking

Smoking can be very harmful to your dental health. Smoking puts you at risk of developing many health problems, including tooth decay and cancer.  

Smoking can significantly slow down the healing process for dental implants. Smoking also causes inflammation and weakens gums around implants. Smoking can stain new implants.

  1. Visit your dentist regularly  

Your oral health depends on regular visits to your dentist. Maintaining good oral health requires frequent visits to the dentist. 

These appointments can also be used to verify that your dental implants are working correctly.  

To ensure no signs of periimplantitis, your dentist will inspect the implants.  

  1. For teeth grinding, get a mouthguard  

Bruxism, also known as teeth grinding, can permanently cause damage to your regular teeth and dental implants.

This excessive force can cause permanent damage to your implants. To protect your teeth, you can get a custom mouthguard if your dentist diagnoses you as having bruxism.  

Extra Care for Overdentures  

  • Gently brush the denture’s underside with a soft-bristled toothbrush at least once daily.
  • Allow the denture to soak overnight in a special cleaner.
  • For signs of wear, inspect o-rings and locator caps daily.
  • Your dentist should be seen at least twice a year.

Do you need dental implants in Liverpool?  

The dental implant procedure takes between 20 and 30 minutes and improves the appearance and function of your smile. You must properly care for your dental implants once they are in place. Good oral hygiene habits include brushing twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush and using non-abrasive toothpaste. Also, floss every day and use non-alcoholic toothpaste. Avoid smoking, alcohol, and hard or spicy foods.  

Visit our dentists at Primadent Dental for dental implants in Liverpool if you have lost teeth due to injury, disease, or decay. 

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