While dental implant care is generally straightforward, paying close attention to your dentist’s care instructions will support a healthy smile for many years to come. This blog explains why implant maintenance is crucial and shares dentists’ recommendations.
The Importance of Maintaining Your Dental Implants
Prolong their Useful Life
Proper care of dental implants is a significant factor in their longevity. Taking good care of your implants maximizes your chance of keeping them.
Protect Your Oral Health
When you practice excellent implant care and oral hygiene, you will boost your oral health. You will have a lower risk of infection that could spread to your natural teeth.
Caring For Your Dental Implants
Single-Tooth Implants and Mini Dental Implants
Brush and floss these implants as you would healthy natural teeth, and keep all scheduled dental appointments to ensure your dentist can detect early-stage problems.
Implant-Supported Bridges
Implant-supported bridges require the same level of care as a standard bridge. Brush your teeth at least twice daily, and after each meal, floss under and around the bridge using a threader and an interproximal brush to remove food and debris.
Implant-Supported Dentures
Implant-supported dentures require more care, but the process is more straightforward than many patients expect. Brush and floss around your implants as you would with healthy teeth. If you have removable dentures, take them out daily for cleaning. If you have fixed dentures, your dentist will remove them for an annual cleaning.
Protect Your Investment
Dental implants represent a major investment in your oral health, appearance, and quality of life. Most patients are highly motivated to take excellent care of their implants because replacing them may be cost-prohibitive. Ensure that you follow your dentist’s maintenance schedule and notify them immediately if you have any issues.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Implants
Am I a good candidate for dental implants?
The majority of healthy adult patients are excellent implant candidates. Patients who receive successful dental implants share these characteristics:
- Missing or damaged teeth that need extraction
- Healthy enough for a surgical procedure (no uncontrolled diabetes, cancer, or other conditions that interfere with the healing process)
- No untreated tooth decay or gum disease
- Non-smokers are the best candidates because nicotine use impairs healing
- Sufficient jawbone mass to allow anchor placement (a bone graft procedure can increase jawbone volume if necessary)
Are dental implants permanent?
Given proper care, dental implant anchors may last decades or even a lifetime. However, due to normal wear, the crown, bridge, or denture on top will likely need periodic replacement.
Call Chagrin Falls Dental
If you want to explore how dental implants can change your life, please call our Chagrin Falls, OH, office at 440-247-8641 to schedule a consultation today. We would gladly explain the process and assess whether you are a good candidate for the procedure.