Proper Care of Dental Implants

Proper daily care for your dental implants is very essential as it is to your natural teeth. On a habitual basis of proper daily care and a periodical visit to your dentist for professional maintenance, you will be able to keep your brand new teeth throughout your entire life.

Basically, home caring for your dental implants is very similar to your natural teeth. In essence, maintaining a thorough and downright good oral hygiene is an actual necessity in preventing gum diseases from actuating, especially around the implant unit, which may eventually lead to the more serious Peri-Implant Disease.

What is a Peri-Implant Disease?

A Peri-Implant Disease is a condition wherein the gums are severely inflamed and loss of bone eventually occurs around the implant unit embedded beneath. Common symptoms include redness and swelling of the gums. The gums may become so sensitive and can bleed easily when cleaning the implants.

If you don’t practice good oral hygiene, a sticky film known as a “bacterial plaque” accumulates on your teeth, including the dental implants. Plaque building up on the implants may cause gum inflammation, so it is imperative to keep them plaque-free as much as possible. The moment you reckon an inflammation, contact your dental clinic. Deep cleaning and removal of plaque and tartar will be carried out by your dentist to reverse the inflammation. Your dental professional will help you acquire an excellent standard of oral hygiene. Regular visits combined with optimal home caring will prevent such diseases from occurring or returning.


Proper Cleaning for Different Types of Dental Implants

There are various ways and different products to properly clean your brand new teeth, which particularly depends on the type of dental implant that you have. Your dentist will provide you with options that would suit your particular requisite.

Single-Tooth Implants

TOOTHBRUSH – A regular toothbrush can be used to clean your teeth including the dental implant. Extra attention is particularly needed under the gum-line (the area where the implant and gums converge).

SINGLE-TUFTED BRUSH – A single-tufted toothbrush may be utilized for precision cleaning, particularly on areas which are difficult to access. This special brush usually features a firm and rounded tuft, but some are designed with slim and pointed tuft.

DENTAL FLOSS – Regular dental floss is suitable for efficient cleaning of the implant. You can choose an elastic type of floss for easier cleaning where space is quite limited.

INTERDENTAL TOOTHPICK – A quick way to clean between your teeth is by using an interdental toothpick. Be sure to choose a silicone-coated design for gentle yet effective plaque removal.

Multiple-Teeth Implants/Implant-supported Bridges

SMALL-HEADED TOOTHBRUSH – Select a toothbrush which can easily reach the irregular surfaces of your implant. An ideal choice would be a small-headed brush with both long and short bristles to further access in-between the implants. Special brushes are also available, like an angled-neck toothbrush, which is specifically-designed to reach the implant surfaces from the inside.

INTERDENTAL BRUSHES – Interdental brushes are often recommended to effectively clean the sides of dental implants, in line with toothbrushes cleaning the front and back surfaces. They are usually available in various sizes and textures to fit different needs.

IMPLANT FLOSS – Implant floss is usually made of elastic materials for flexibility in cleaning an area where limited space permits. You can use the stiff end of the floss in between the implant bridge and the gums. Be sure to clean the area where the implant structure meets the gum, as well as the sides of the dental implants.

Implant-supported Removable Dentures

SINGLE-TUFTED BRUSH – A single-tufted brush is excellent for cleaning around implant abutments, both for the ball-type and bar-type connectors.

INTERDENTAL BRUSH – You can also make use of an interdental brush to particularly clean under the connecting bar (for bar-type connectors). Different sizes and textures are available to suit your specific needs.

DENTURE BRUSH – A denture brush is usually equipped with long and extra-strong bristles for efficiently cleaning your removable prosthetic. You can angle the neck of the brush for better handling and grip of the brush.


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