How to Care for Your Dental Implant

If you’re missing one or more teeth, dental implants are the best replacement option. Implants are secure, permanent, and look just like natural teeth. They’re a bit more expensive than other options but are a great investment.

However, if you invest in dental implants, you also need to take good care of them to make sure they last as long as possible. The providers at Dental Art of South Bay in Torrance, California, explain how to care for your dental implants below.

Brush your teeth properly

You may think that you already know how to brush your teeth the right way. But you may not actually know the correct way to brush your teeth.

One common method of brushing your teeth is in a back-and-forth sort of sawing motion. But this is actually not healthy for your teeth or gums. This type of tooth brushing actually wears away at the enamel of your teeth, which makes your teeth more sensitive to hot and cold temperatures.

Brushing your teeth improperly is also very abrasive to your teeth and gums, which can cause minor cuts in your gums.

In addition, it doesn’t clean your teeth very effectively, either. It just moves the food particles from one tooth to another and completely ignores the spaces between your teeth.

Floss your teeth properly

Ask your provider how to floss your teeth correctly, especially if you have implants. It may seem more difficult to floss around your implants.

If this is the case, you can use a water flosser. Water flossers use water and pressure to clean between your teeth. This is often just as effective as traditional floss at getting particles out from between your teeth.

Water flossers also have the extra advantage of targeting your gums as well as getting in between your teeth. This helps to keep the soft tissue around your implant remain healthy.

Use other helpful products

You may also find other products useful. These include tongue scrapers, antimicrobial rinses, and interdental brushes. 

These products aren’t strictly necessary but you may find them helpful in caring for your implant.

Keep up with regular cleanings

It’s also important to keep up with regular dental cleanings and checkups. While cleanings and exams are important for everyone, they’re absolutely essential for people with implants.

Having cleanings and checkups allows the dentist to ensure that your implant is solidly attaching to your bone. One of the things we need to do is to take X-rays to see that your jawbone is fusing to the implant.

We also need to make sure that your gums are free of inflammation and are properly healing. 

If you have opted for an implant to replace a missing tooth, it’s a very good investment. Protect your investment by taking care of your teeth and getting regular dental checkups. Contact the providers at Dental Art of South Bay today or request an appointment online.