How to Take Care of Your Dental Implants

Implants are currently a common option of treatment to replace missing teeth. Also, they may be used to assist in stabilizing a denture for function and comfort. Three million people have dental implants and this figure is increasing by 500,000/ year, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.

In order to ensure the longevity of a dental implant, certain efforts and techniques are needed to keep it clean and free from destructive plaque and bacteria,

which may cause infection inside the tissues that surround the dental implant and lead to failure. Without consistent removal of biofilm,

peri-implantitis may develop and result in dental implant loss.

Your dental hygienist has a vital part to play in keeping implants free of disease. Traditional scalers used on natural teeth may scratch an implant, abutment, or crown, so your dental hygienist instead will use specialized devices made of resins and plastics to completely clean without having to cause damage.

Also, recipients of dental implants play a substantial part in the success of their own restoration, as well as have to be motivated to take care of the dental implant. Here is how to offer the best care in your home.

For single dental implants

• Clean a minimum of two times per day using a soft-bristle brush
• Use low-abrasive toothpaste
• Brush around and under the dental implant crown
• Utilize an interdental, nylon coated brush to clean places that are hard to reach
• Floss on a daily basis using implant-specific dental floss or unwaxed tape
• Use a suggested oral irrigator

For an overdenture

• Remove the denture on a daily basis then soak in a certain cleaner for suggested time
• Inspect clips, locator caps, and o-rings and alert the dental professional if missing or worn
• Softly brush the underside of your denture using a denture brush
• Thoroughly rinse overdenture using water before you place it into the mouth
• Speak to the dental professional about replacing locator caps and O-rings one time per year

Dental implants are a successful medical process despite the cleaning challenges that they present. Peri-implant disease prevention is critical to implant function and health. How you care for the dental implant is a vital part of success.

We have a compassionate staff of dental care professionals in Wilmington, North Carolina who are prepared to provide you the quality care you deserve. Call us right away to arrange an appointment in our clinic at (910) 408-0487.