Dental implant is a restoration that can be used to replace one or more missing teeth and is a great way to maintain your oral health. Dental implants are actually pretty easy to care for at home though it is important to see your dentist for regular cleanings and checkups. Implants can be used to support an individual crown, a partial denture, or even a full denture on one or both arches. For the most part, caring for your dental implants is the same as caring for your natural teeth but there are a few modifications and extra care you will need to take to make sure your implant lasts as long as possible.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants are not only a natural-looking and stable option, they are also beneficial to bone health. Tooth roots help stimulate bone regeneration when we chew and dental implants are essentially an artificial tooth root. Without this stimulation, the jaw bone will begin to deteriorate which can lead to mobility and tooth loss.
Patients who wear a traditional bridge or denture that sits above the gum tissue can eventually have issues with the way their restoration fits. As the bone begins to deteriorate, the facial structure can change and the bridge or denture can become ill-fitting. But with dental implants, the bone continues to regenerate and provide a stable foundation for implants and teeth alike!
Clean and Maintain Dental Implants
Maintaining a good oral hygiene routine at home, including regular visits to your dentist for professional cleanings, is vital to the success of your implant. A lot of implant patients are advised to adopt a more frequent cleaning schedule as opposed to the typical every six months to keep the implant healthy and functioning properly.
When practicing oral hygiene at home, your toothbrush will be sufficient in regularly removing biofilm and plaque but it cannot remove tartar, which is calcified plaque. Your hygienist will use instruments that are effective at removing such contaminants to make sure your implant stays clean and healthy. These tools are designed to prevent damage to each part of the implant restoration. If the surface of the implant is scratched, it can attract and harbor bacteria, which can lead to an infection and possibly failure of the implant. Therefore, the instruments used to clean dental implants are often made of a plastic or resin material.
Your hygienist will also use an ultrasonic instrument which uses high frequency vibrations in conjunction with water irrigation to remove larger debris and tartar buildup. Natural teeth do not scratch the same way that porcelain does so metal instruments are perfectly safe for them.
Dental implants have a proven long-term success rate of about 95% and are one of the best ways to restore missing teeth. It is important to prevent periodontal and peri-implant to ensure the health and longevity of your implant. Your dentist will help keep your implant healthy and provide instructions for you to clean and maintain your implant in your daily routines.