After you lose a tooth, dental implants allow you to get back to normal mouth function and get your smile back. Implants today look and feel like real teeth, so you can smile and eat with confidence. They are a great solution for anyone who has lost a tooth because of decay, an accident, or gum disease.
But dental implants need to be taken care of the right way. Knowing how to clean your implants to last as long as possible and keep their look is important.If you don't take care of your dental implants, it can lead to several problems. If you don't take care of your mouth, you could get inflammation, discomfort, pain, bone loss, and diseases like peri-implantitis.
What Is Peri-Implantitis And How To Avoid It?
Once you have dental implants, you must follow a strict oral hygiene routine to keep them clean. If you don't, you could get peri-implantitis.
Peri-implantitis is gum disease around your implants. Your gums get red and swollen, just like when you have periodontal disease. They might hurt when you touch them and bleed when you brush or floss. Also, it may be painful to eat. But peri-implantitis can do more than just hurt a lot; it can also cause your dental implants to fall out. You can avoid peri-implantitis by following these important tips for caring for dental implants.
Follow These 10 Steps For A Healthy, Happy Smile And Dental Implants That Last A Long Time:
1. Use A Toothbrush With Soft Bristles
Always stay away from toothbrushes with hard bristles. They can hurt your teeth's enamel and are especially bad for dental implants. Hard bristles on a toothbrush can easily scratch the surface of implants, causing damage that can't be fixed. After getting dental implants, it's important only to use toothbrushes with soft bristles.
Instead, look for a soft nylon brush. The bristles are soft and bendy so that they won't hurt your implants.
2. Avoid Abrasive Toothpaste
Your implants can be hurt by anything that rubs against them. So, choose a specialty toothpaste with less grit. Normal toothpaste is usually very rough so that it can remove plaque and stains. However, too much roughness wears down the enamel and dental implants.
3. Floss Daily
Flossing is the only way to get rid of food and plaque stuck between the teeth that can't be removed by brushing alone.
Flossing is more important than ever if you have dental implants. Plaque can easily gather around implants, which is bad for oral health. It's important to switch to a piece of floss that works with implants. It would be best if you flossed daily with unwaxed tape or other floss made for people with implants.
4. Take Care Of Your Teeth
Even with dental implants, you should still brush your teeth twice daily. Use non-abrasive products to keep your implants safe for a long time.
A soft-bristled toothbrush, toothpaste made for sensitive teeth, mouthwash without alcohol, and floss made for people with implants are all must-haves. Baking soda, bleach, and chlorine-based cleaners should not be used on your implants because they can weaken or damage them for good. We also think you should avoid mouthwashes with strong flavors like mint or cinnamon, which can hurt your mouth.
5. Don't Eat Anything Hard, Hot, Or Sticky
Hard food can break or damage your implants, so you should avoid it. In the same way, sticky foods can stick to your implants and cause plaque to grow.
If you have implants, try avoiding ice, candies, hardshell tacos, potato chips, carrots, apples, crusty bread, caramel, dried fruits, and steak. Also, hot water or hot foods, such as soups, can change the shape of your implants.
6. Limit Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol has a lot of sugar, which makes tooth decay worse in people with healthy teeth. Alcohol, though, is also bad for dental implants.
Not only does it make plaque build up faster, but it also makes it take longer for teeth implants to heal after surgery. So, staying away from alcohol for the first six months after getting a dental implant is especially important.
7. Quit Smoking
Smoking is very bad for your teeth and gums. Smoking puts you at high risk for many health problems, from cavities to cancer.
When it comes to dental implants, smoking makes the healing process much longer. It also makes the gums around the implant swollen and weak. Also, smoking will make your new implants look dirty.
8. Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Going to the dentist often is important for the health of your mouth. If you go to the dentist at least twice a year, you can stop plaque and tartar from building up and catch problems before they worsen. Once you have dental implants, these visits also allow you to ensure everything is working right. Your dentist will look at the implants to ensure no signs of damage or peri-implantitis.
9. Get A Mouthguard If You Grind Your Teeth
Bruxism, another name for grinding your teeth, can damage your natural teeth and dental implants in a way that can't be fixed.
The extra force puts your implants under a lot of pressure, which can have long-lasting effects. If your dentist says you grind your teeth, you should get a mouthguard made just for you to protect your teeth.
10.Limit Your Sugar Intake
We should limit the amount of sugar intake after having dental implants. Sugars can produce lots of acid inside our mouth which can cause problems with your dental implants. If you are interested in having a dental implant you can visit our cosmetic dental clinic