One of the key benefits of dental implants is their longevity. When implants are taken care of they can last a lifetime with only minor routine maintenance. The trick to this longevity is in how you take care of them. Here are some tips and methods for taking care of your implants and ensuring their longevity and your oral hygiene.
Softness is Key
It doesn't matter if you are referring to the type of toothbrush you need or the type of cleaning paste you use, softness is key. Rough, coarse, or abrasive materials can cause a breakdown of the implants. They can cause rough spots and they can cause small scratches on the surface of the implant. Instead, opt for soft bristle brushes and pastes or gels that are designed for sensitive teeth. If you do need to whiten your implants either choose a whitening rinse and sensitive tooth whitening paste instead of baking soda or another abrasive whitener. You can find brushes, water picks, and oral hygiene products listed as soft or sensitive. Either will work well for your dental implants.
Routine Flossing
Depending on your mouth sensitivity you may not be able to feel food or food particles that are stuck between your implants like you would with natural teeth. For that reason, you need to make sure that you floss on a routine basis. This ensures there is no debris stuck between or at the base of the implants. It also means you do not have anything that could break down or degrade the implants and cause the need for replacements.
Hard Foods
Try to avoid hard foods when you have dental implants. Hard foods can cause the same issues with your implants they can with natural teeth. You can cause chips, breaks, or small cracks in the dental implants with certain hard foods. Try to avoid these foods and go with softer options. For example, consider going with cooked or steamed carrots rather than raw. You still get the nutrients but avoid the hardness of the raw carrot causing damage to your implants.
These are just a few of the ways you can maintain your dental implants. If you have specific questions about your implants and maintaining your oral health, contact your dentist. They can discuss options, additional care plans, and suitable cleaning pastes or gels that may help. They can also discuss setting up a routine appointment for cleanings and checkups. Visit a group like Bradley Piotrowski, DDS, MSD, LLC for assistance.
Our oral surgery and general dental website offers important information on how to prevent dry socket following a tooth extraction. After getting your tooth pulled, a protective blood clot develops over the extraction site. Many of our blog posts explain how this protective clot helps promote healing after an extraction.
You'll learn that if the clot is accidentally dislodged, dry socket may occur, which can raise your risk for infection and heavy bleeding. We'll provide you with important tips on how to prevent this by avoiding smoking and drinking through a straw. You'll also learn that swishing water around your mouth should be avoided for a couple of days following your extraction because doing so creates a suction that may dislodge your clot, leading to dry socket.