How do I take care of my Dental Implants?

Dental Implant Care and Maintenance

Dental implants can last a long time when they are maintained with good oral hygiene at home and regular maintenance with your dental health care provider. Continuing or starting a daily routine of brushing and flossing is paramount along with making sensible lifestyle choices to maintain your overall health. Now you have made your investment, you need to look after it.

The longevity of your dental implant will depend on a number of factors, ranging from your lifestyle choices to your long-term commitment to oral hygiene.

“Dental implant maintenance is not difficult, but it is imperative.”

Good oral hygiene involves caring for your mouth and gums, as these are what hold your implants in place. If you fail to do this, the gums surrounding the implants can develop a build-up of bacteria and, even worse, infection. Infection can jeopardise the bone tissue surrounding the implant, which can cause you to lose the implant altogether.

Download Aria Dental Implant Maintenance Guide

Tips to Prolong the Life of your Dental Implants

Your Aria Dental implant dentist will help ensure you keep your mouth healthy, but daily implant maintenance will be up to you to do at home. Here’s what you can do to make sure your implants and replacement teeth last.

Aftercare Post-Surgery

Immediately following implant surgery we recommend you avoid eating any hard foods that could damage your implant during the healing period. A soft food diet is recommended for seven days and particular care should be taken for up to 12 weeks after surgery.

Flossing & Brushing

Just like your natural teeth, the long-term health of your dental implants will depend on how well you look after them. The great thing about implants is you can care for them as you do for the rest of your teeth – with regular flossing and brushing. This cleaning will help you avoid a build-up of plaque and should be done at least twice daily. Pay special attention to areas such as the sides of your implants, as this is where food and plaque often build up.

Lifestyle Choices

The durability of your implants will not only depend on the maintenance of your teeth, but also on your lifestyle choices as a whole. One of the main factors that can trigger problems with your dental implants (and overall oral hygiene) is smoking. This is something your dentist may take into consideration when assessing your eligibility for implants at your initial consult.

Maintaining a Healthy Mouth

The oral cavity is not mutually exclusive from the rest of your body. It is incorrect to think that if systemic health and general well-being is compromised that your oral health and dental implants are not affected. Your body works as a complete and whole system and you should care for your number one asset accordingly. If you want to maximise the health of your dental implant, make sure you stay healthy and look after yourself.

Interdental Brushes

Make sure you include interdental brushes as part of your dental implant maintenance routine. These small brushes can be used to remove pieces of food and plaque from around the sides of your implants to reduce chances of gum disease.

Mouthwash

Combined with regular flossing and brushing, antimicrobial mouthwash will help you reduce and eliminate bacteria building up around your teeth implants.

Regular Dental Visits

Commit to regular dental check-ups and hygienist appointments. This will help your dentist monitor the progress of your implants while giving your replacement teeth the professional clean they need.

Listen to Your Dentist

Most importantly, listen to your dentist’s advice on how to maintain your dental implants. Whether it’s avoiding certain foods during the healing process or following a specific cleaning routine, your dentist’s advice is imperative if you want to keep your implants for as long as possible.

Risk Factors

Some pre-existing conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes, vulnerability to gum disease, or a smoking habit can affect the health of dental implants in terms of success, complications, and longevity.

So, when it comes to dental implants start with the selection of the right dentist for you. Then by practicing good oral and dental hygiene and looking after your dental implants like your natural teeth, you will get the maximum longevity of your implant, which could potentially mean a lifetime.

Importance of the Dental Clinician

As with all dental surgical procedures, the qualifications, expertise and experience of the performing dentist is important to ensure the successful placement of the dental implant and minimising the risk of failure. A Prosthodontist is a highly qualified dental specialist who will be able to provide you with an expert advice on your options for an optimal, long-term outcome.