So, you’ve heard of how great dental implants are and are considering getting one or several for the first time. Congratulations on taking the next best step in improving your oral health! This is the start of a new chapter in your life. One with improved dental health, speech, and the ability to enjoy the foods you love. Once you complete the placement of your dental implants in Virginia Beach, it’s important to know how to maintain them properly. Here are some helpful tips from your dentist at Smile by Design.
The Lifespan of Dental Implants
Dental implants are hands-down the most efficient tooth replacement option available today. They stand with a success rate of more than 95%! Believe it or not, if you care for your dental implants properly they can last a lifetime. It’s still important to remember that while dental implants are technically a permanent restoration, maintaining a strong jawbone and durable dental prosthetic are two areas of your mouth that depend on you to keep them healthy. The best way to prevent a dental implant from failing is to follow these tips from your Virginia Beach dentist.
1. Brush and Floss Like They’re Your Natural Teeth.
One great thing about dental implants is that they really do mimic your natural teeth. That’s why so many patients love them! Just because your body didn’t naturally create these replacement teeth, doesn’t mean you should treat them any differently. You need to maintain them just as your permanent teeth. That means brushing twice a day is still mandatory.
It can be difficult to floss and clean under fixed implant dentures and bridges. You can routinely take them out to make flossing easier. This will help to remove dangerous bacteria from your natural teeth and around the are your implant was placed.
2. Your Dentist Encourages Using Additional Tools If You Need To.
There are several types of cleaning aids that can be used to sterilize your dental implant. If you can’t seem to floss comfortably, clean between your teeth with either interdental brushes (brushes for small or hard to reach areas) or even an oral irrigator (flosser that uses water). The surfaces of your dental implants can be easily scratched, so we prefer that patients invest in maintaining their implants with additional tools.
3. Rinse Your Mouth with Mouthwash.
We encourage our patients to use antimicrobial mouthwashes because they’re proven to kill bacteria in the hard to reach areas of your mouth. Mouthwash also decreases gum inflammation when used twice a day alongside your brushing and flossing routine.
4. Enjoy a Well-Balanced Diet.
Now that you’ll have the ability to enjoy crunchy foods again, we urge patients to indulge in a nutritious diet. Dental implants are a great restorative option because they help rebuild a healthy jaw bone. To maintain your jaws strength and durability, it is important that you are feeding your body the right nutrients to keep it healthy. You should incorporate foods that are rich in calcium, vitamin D, Vitamin C, and raw crunchy veggies to exercise your jaw with consistent chewing.
5. Visit Your Dentist in Virginia Beach
Dental implants can be a life-changing solution, but you could end up with missing teeth again if you don’t care for them. A part of maintaining good dental health is visiting our Smile by Design office for checkups and professional cleanings. Contact us today to schedule your next appointment.