Five Ways to Care for Your Dental Implants to Improve Oral Health

Dental implants are a bridge over the jawbone and a perfect alternative to replace missing teeth. As a better alternative to a traditional bridge, which often needs four or more implants that are screwed into the jaw, your dentist can prescribe an All-on-4 implant. There’s a special system for caring for and cleaning dental implants. The gums around the dental implant or bridge require special care because food particles are easily be lodged around the base where the bridge is attached.

Why is Oral Hygiene Crucial for Dental Implants?

Proper dental implant care is just as important as caring for your natural teeth. Your natural teeth and the implant are similar, as they both rely on healthy tissue for support, and can grow plaque. Removing this plaque is important because it can become an infection. If the infection is not properly treated, it can lead to bone loss around the implant, which could lead to implant failure itself.

Dental implants are a perfect way to replace missing teeth. Good oral hygiene helps keep dental implants healthy for many years after implantation. This prevents gum disease and peri-implantitis, a type of gum disease common to dental implants. Cleaning the denture is also important. It will keep the denture at its best and help you have a safe, clean mouth. You can fight bad breath, ensure good periodontal health, and eventually ensure that your restored smile looks bright, natural and attractive. Here are five ways to care for your dental implants.

Brushing

Like any other oral care routine, brushing twice a day is necessary. Choose a soft-bristled electric or manual toothbrush that is of good quality and brush your natural teeth for three minutes. Ensure you brush up to the gum line in gentle, circular motions.

Dental implants are made of materials similar to your natural teeth and must be cleaned at least twice daily with a water flosser, a soft-bristled toothbrush, and a non-abrasive toothpaste. Therefore, extra attention must be paid to remove food debris trapped between the bridge and the gum line.

Consider a Rubber-tip Stimulator

Many water flossers come with rubber-tip stimulators that gently remove trapped food particles between the gum and bridge line. To extract food waste and bacteria, use this tool on your water flosser at least once daily. Stick to the medium or low settings only, as the high setting can, in some cases, remove tissue from the implant.

Use a Sulcus Brush

A sulcus brush is about one-third the width of a regular toothbrush and is effective in cleaning up to the bridge that turns into soft tissue.

Use Bridge and Crown Floss

This is especially designed for scrubbing around and under dental implants. It has two rigid nylon ends and a soft middle that gently cleans the surface of the implant as well as the porcelain that is attached to the gum line.

The rigid edges allow you to insert and pull the floss at the gumline between the dental implants. You can then lean against the surface of the implant and rub it side-by-side. It’s a good thing to use the floss after brushing whilst the toothpaste is still in your mouth. This helps you to spread fluoride around the implant, preventing unwanted bacterial growth.

Use Low-Abrasive Toothpaste

Use toothpaste that has no abrasive components such as stain-remover agents or baking soda, as these can wear on porcelain and acrylic implants. Look for dental implant-specific toothpaste, or consult your dentist for advice on toothpaste.

Final Thoughts

Dental implants and overdentures cannot decay, but without proper dental implant care, your gums and supporting bone remain prone to bacterial decay, inflammation, and infection. Additionally, daily deep cleaning of dental implants is required to extend their lifespan. Click here to learn more about dental implants.