After undergoing the process of getting dental implants, you want to take care of them properly to ensure that they last as well as keep your gums and natural teeth as healthy as possible. While regular brushing and flossing can help you achieve some of these goals, consider adding the use of a couple more teeth-cleaning tools to your oral hygiene routine.
1. Interdental Toothbrush to Clean Between Teeth and Implants
The first tool you should consider adding to your oral hygiene routine after getting dental implants is an interdental toothbrush. This type of toothbrush looks like a tiny bottle brush and should be used in conjunction with a regular toothbrush.
While a toothbrush does a good job with cleaning the larger areas of your teeth and helps with cleaning the gums, an interdental toothbrush takes the process one step further by brushing between the teeth and implants. When gently used while rotating along the bottoms of the implants, the tiny bristles can also thoroughly clean the spaces between the caps and gums, helping to remove bacteria and food particles that could become stuck.
When using the interdental brush, use it first before your regular toothbrush. It will knock away any debris so that the larger bristles of your toothbrush can whisk it away.
2. Foam-coated Floss Threaders to Replace Regular Floss
As with your natural teeth, flossing should be an important part of your dental hygiene regimen. However, when you have dental implants, you need to be careful with how you floss between them and your other teeth. If done incorrectly, you could pull the implant out of place, especially if you have recently had them inserted.
To help keep from snagging the implants, consider using foam-coated floss threaders instead of regular dental floss. These threaders feature a piece of floss that is coated with foam which is strung between a small plastic holder.
The holder holds the floss tightly in place, giving you better control when positioning it between your teeth and implants. The foam coating keeps the floss from sticking or becoming stuck on the bottom of the implants, allowing you to safely and thoroughly remove any stuck food.
Adding the right tools to your oral hygiene routine can help you keep your natural teeth, dental implants, and gums clean and healthy. For more information about how to take care of your dental implants, speak with your dentist at your next appointment.