5 dental implant care tips you should know

Dental implants have the efficacy of providing a more confident smile which you cannot get from other traditional dental restoration methods. Moreover, implant dentistry has higher success rates and are well-known for their ecstatic benefits like mimicking natural teeth, restoring biting force, free from embarrassing slippage, etc.

However, the teeth implants are marginally susceptible to some dental problems. If you want to protect the implants from such medical problems and ensure their longevity, you should maintain proper implant care activities that are slightly different from regular dental care

In this post, the implantologists in our Amarnathan’s Dental Care have listed the important activities to look after your implanted teeth.

1) Use soft-bristled toothbrush

Generally, dentists and oral hygienists recommend soft nylon-bristled toothbrushes to clean the teeth. It is because they are gentle and pliable over the teeth thereby enamel wear down will not happen. This applies to implant teeth as well.

If you brush vigorously or brush with a hard-bristled toothbrush, you would cause a scratch over the implant surfaces. This is quite bothersome because the scratches allow microbes to cling to the implants.

Hence we recommend electric toothbrushes to people who struggle with regular brushing techniques to clean their implant teeth. If you received an implant-retained denture, single-tuft toothbrush will be a perfect choice.

2) Neglect abrasive dental supplies

Similar to soft bristle toothbrushes, you should use low-abrasive toothpaste to brush the implant teeth. It is because the abrasive elements in the toothpaste can also scrap the implants. Hence you should take a look at the ingredients like toothpaste, mouthwash, and other dental products you are using if they have any erosive agents.  

Apart from the harsh feeling they cause, the scratch over implant teeth will be followed by accumulating bacteria. It leads to a serious inflammatory condition called “Peri-implantitis”.

3) Floss Regularly

Floss is important for dental implants more than your regular teeth. Unlike a natural tooth, the implants cannot cleanse themselves naturally so that the plaque substances can stick to them easily. So you should floss your teeth at least once a day to make the interdental spaces devoid of plaque accumulation.

If you struggle with handling flossing wires, use alternatives like superfloss, dental floss picks, and water flossers.

4) Don’t smoke

Smoking can stain the implanted teeth as well as the natural teeth. We advise people who received implant teeth to stay far away from smoking and alcohol for another reason also. The success of implant treatments relies on how well the fixed implants integrate with the jaw bone. It takes around 6 months to heal.

If you smoke or consume alcohol during this period, the toxic substances will intervene in the bone integration process and delay the healing process. In essence, you should give up smoking after getting implanted teeth otherwise, your new teeth will fall out soon.

5) Avoid things that harm your teeth

Teeth implants are well-known for their sturdiness. It does not mean that they are indestructible. They also become weak and breakage is inevitable if you apply extensive biting or chewing force. In simply, you should not

• Grind / Clench your teeth
• Bite your nails
• Chew inedible things
• Open bottle caps with teeth

Similarly, eating hard and sticky foods is also detrimental to your implanted teeth. So you should give up eatables like dried fruits, hard candies, apples, etc even though they are healthy and delicious.

Bottom line

Dental implants are highly durable but their longevity depends on how well you keep them clean. The discussed implant care activities will help you to reap the benefits of implanted teeth and maintain your gorgeous smile. Meanwhile, don’t use any metallic substances to clean between the implant teeth.