How to care for your dental implants
Securing a beautiful, functional smile with dental implants is a significant achievement. At West Beach Dental in Adelaide, we understand that getting dental implants is only part of the journey.
Proper care and maintenance are essential to ensure your implants last a lifetime. In this blog, we will provide comprehensive tips to help patients in Adelaide maintain their dental implants, ensuring long-term success and oral health.
Regular oral hygiene is key
Just like natural teeth, dental implants require regular, thorough oral hygiene. Flossing & Brushing twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste helps prevent plaque buildup.
When brushing, pay special attention to all sides of the implant. Flossing daily is also crucial to the implant and your natural tooth next to it. The more you can keep this area clean the better.
Dental Implants Maintenance Tips
Special care products
Consider incorporating interdental brushes, antimicrobial mouth rinses, or water flossers into your routine. These products are particularly effective in cleaning hard-to-reach areas around the implants. Our dentists at West Beach Dental can recommend products best suited for your dental implants, ensuring your maintenance routine is as effective and gentle as possible. Brushing to hard, can wear away the gums and expose the roots or implant.
Professional cleanings and check-ups
Routine dental check-ups are vital. Visiting West Beach Dental for professional cleanings and examinations every six months (or as recommended by your dentist) allows for the early detection of potential issues. In most cases if an issues is left to long it can mean more invasive work will be required. So its best to stay on top of your appointments. These appointments are an opportunity to assess the health of your implants, natural teeth, and gums, ensuring any minor problems are addressed promptly.
Avoid hard and sticky foods
While dental implants are designed to function like natural teeth, it’s wise to avoid excessively hard or sticky foods that could damage them. Foods such as hard candies, ice, or caramel can put undue stress on implants, risking damage to the crown or implant itself.
Opt for a balanced, implant-friendly diet to avoid unnecessary complications.
Quit smoking
Smoking can hinder the healing process after your dental implant surgery and negatively impact the long-term health of your dental implants. Nicotine restricts blood flow to the gums, increasing the risk of infection, implant failure, and diseases.
For the sake of your dental implants and overall health, consider quitting smoking.
Wear a mouthguard if necessary
If you grind your teeth at night (a condition known as bruxism) or if you’re active in contact sports, wearing a mouthguard can protect your implants (and natural teeth) from unnecessary pressure or trauma.
We can make custom mouthguards that provide a comfortable feel as well as a protective shield, allowing you peace of mind in your day to day activities.
Monitor your gum health
Gum health is crucial for the longevity of your dental implants. Red, swollen, or bleeding gums can indicate peri-implantitis, a condition that affects the tissues around dental implants.
Early detection and treatment is crucial, so report any symptoms to your dentist immediately, whether it be us or another dentist. Best to seek help ASAP.
Stay hydrated
Maintaining good hydration promotes overall health and supports oral hygiene by stimulating saliva production. Saliva naturally helps to clean the mouth and control bacteria. Drinking plenty of water, especially after meals, can help to keep your implants and surrounding tissues in top condition.
Regularly inspect your implants
Become familiar with how your implants feel and regularly check for any changes. While you should not attempt to adjust or fix your implants yourself, being aware of any looseness, discomfort, or changes in position can help you identify when to seek professional advice from your dentist in Adelaide.
Dental implants offer a fantastic solution for replacing missing teeth, closely mimicking the look, feel, and function of natural teeth. However, their success and longevity greatly depend on proper care and maintenance.
By following these tips and maintaining regular visits to West Beach Dental, you can ensure your dental implants remain in excellent condition for years to come. For more information on dental implants or to schedule a check-up, visit our Dental Implants Adelaide service page.
Let us help you maintain a healthy, confident smile with dental implants designed to last a lifetime. We hope you have enjoyed reading our blog on How to care for your dental implants, should you have more questions please give our team a call.
