How To Clean And Maintain Dental Implants
Did you know that dental implants have a success rate of around 95%? This is a very high percentage, and that is one of the reasons dentists recommend implants to people who are missing some of their teeth. If you are considering implants, yours could last a lifetime if you provide the proper care to them. Here are the best things you can do to care for you implants once you get them.
Brush Them Just Like Your Regular Teeth
One benefit of an implant compared to a natural tooth is that implants cannot rot away. Natural teeth can rot away when acids attack and eat away at them, but implants are made of materials that will never rot. While this is a good thing, you should realize that you still need to brush your implants just like you would your regular teeth.
Not only will brushing your implants keep them clean, but brushing is also essential for cleaning plaque and bacteria off the gum lines. Even though your dental implants are not regular teeth, they are still up against natural gums. When bacteria and plaque gets on the gum lines, it can lead to gum recession and gum disease. To keep your gums healthy, you will need to make sure you brush your implants as well as all your other teeth.
Floss Between Them
The second thing you should do is floss the areas next to your implants, and this is something you should do with all your teeth. Flossing cleans areas between teeth, and this is vital with implants. One of the reasons dental implants fail is from a lack of good oral care. If you do not care for the implants, an infection could end up forming, and this happens when bacteria seeps under the implant. The best way to prevent this is by brushing well and flossing each day.
Flossing is also important for your breath. If you fail to floss, food particles may become lodged between your teeth. This is a common cause of bad breath, but you can reduce the risks of having bad breath by keeping your mouth clean through flossing and brushing.
Get Your Teeth Cleaned
The other important thing you should know is that you will still need to get your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year by a dentist or hygienist. Professional teeth cleaning is designed to help prevent cavities, and it is something that is needed even for dental implants.
When a dentist performs professional cleaning on your teeth, he or she may handle the duties differently on and around your implants. Your implants have different needs, simply because they are not real teeth, but they still need to be cleaned.
Another key part of a professional cleaning is the examination the dentist does to your teeth and mouth. During each exam, your dentist will thoroughly check your teeth to look for signs of problems. As this is done, the dentist will also carefully examine your implants to make sure that they are healthy and problem-free. Without going to the dentist for regular exams and cleanings, your implants and your natural teeth could develop problems, and fixing problems is easier when they are spotted at an early stage.
There are multiple ways to replace missing teeth; however, dental implants offer the best results and the most benefits. If you are not sure if you should choose dental implants, contact a dental clinic like Stone & Johnson Dental Group that specializes in implants. You can meet with a dentist to find out whether or not you could benefit from getting implants to replace your missing teeth.
