Are you missing a single tooth or teeth? There are many restorative dental procedures that your dentist can explain and recommend to you so you can deal with this problem. Some of them include dentures, crowns, bridges, and -the most popular and reliable of all- implants. Dental implants are now very familiar missing teeth replacement option among adults. Dentists can also recommend using dental implants to help stabilize a denture for additional comfort, function, and aesthetic purposes. According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, 3 million people have implants, and with approximately 500,000 new patients a year, these statistics are expected to rise up on a regular basis. It is then important to maintain your implants, which may include brushing teeth in the morning and night, as well as doing other steps in caring for your implants.
Why is brushing teeth in the morning important?
To ensure the durability of a dental implant, detailed techniques and efforts are necessary to keep it clean and free of harsh and harmful bacteria and plaque. These substances build up in between the teeth and implant which can cause infection in the tissues around the implant and lead to failure. Without tenacious removal of these bacterial invasions, peri-implantitis can develop and result in implant loss and failure.
What can a dental professional do to maintain your dental implants?
The dental hygienist has an important role to play in keeping dental implants disease-free. Traditional dental hygiene scalers used on natural chompers can scratch the parts of the implant (the crown or false tooth, abutment or connector, and implant or post), so your hygienist will instead use special dental instruments made of plastic and resin to thoroughly clean without causing damage.
What can you do to maintain your dental implants?
Dental implant recipients or users, like yourself, also play a significant role in the success of their own missing teeth replacement option. They must be motivated to take care of the implant, thinking that they know the consequences of not doing so. Here are some tips on how to provide the best care to your dental implants at home.
Clean your teeth at least twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Brushing teeth in the morning and night is advised and recommended.
Use a low-abrasive toothpaste. Like using instruments that may scratch the surface of the dental implants, using a kind of toothpaste that has harmful interaction with the material of your dental implant may stain and damage the integrity of your missing tooth replacement. Ask your dentist for recommendation so you can be sure that the toothpaste you would use suits your implant as well.
Brush under and around the implant crown. This habit is to make sure that no food particle or debris is stuck in between the teeth. Making it harder for bacteria to thrive.
Use a nylon coated interdental brush to clean hard-to-reach places. Same as what was mentioned earlier, this procedure ensures no food is available for the bacteria to infest on, making them capable of harming the teeth and gums.
Floss daily with unwaxed tape or implant-specific floss. Brushing teeth in the morning and night may not be enough to ensure the cleanliness of the teeth and implant. Like using interdental brushes, dental floss can also remove food debris in between the nooks and crevices of the teeth and implants. This simple habit can ensure not just the stability of the implants, but the health of your teeth and gums too.
Use a recommended oral irrigator. Brands like Waterpik® Water Flosser are helpful in such a way that instead of using dental instruments that may scratch or damage the teeth and implants while cleaning them, these gizmos can use water as a way to remove build-ups around the teeth. Using pulsating water, oral irrigators wash out and dislodge particles that can cause tooth decay when left unattended.
