A dental implant is a fixture which mimics the way how the natural teeth works. One of the main differences between Dental Implants and Natural teeth are that Dental implants are artificial. They are made out of titanium or zirconia which is suitable for our jaw bone to grow around the implant fixture to allow long lasting stability. Once the bone has grown around the implant, dental implant lasts a long time provided if we take steps to take care of it. Like any natural teeth, if we do not maintain it properly it will eventually have cavities and even in serious cases infection. It is the same for dental implants, and that is why today in this Smileway Dental Blog we would like to give you a few tips in how to maintain your Dental Implants. We all desire a long-lasting dental implant with no infection, so follow some of these guides. To know more about types of Dental Implant Click Here (https://www.smileway.my/types-of-dental-implant/)
- Soft Manual Toothbrush / Electric Toothbrush – Using these types of tooth brushes will help reduce the damage on your gums. Using hard toothbrush without proper technique on brushing can cause damage to the gums surrounding the implant leading to infection. Electric Toothbrush cleans the mouth much better than manual toothbrushes, therefore taking out more debris and food particles inside the mouth. Consider electric toothbrushes with soft bristles. The right way to brush your teeth is important.
- Antimicrobial Mouth Rinse (Without Alcohol) – Using these can help reduce the number of harmful bacteria inside your mouth which may cause infection surrounding the implant. Use Mouth Rinse without Alcohol to avoid dry mouth. Another alternative is just to use Salt water to rinse your mouth.
- Massage your gums – After brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth with antimicrobial Mouth Rinse, add a bit of toothpaste on your index finger and massage your gums in a circular motion. This practice promotes blood flow to your gums giving it more nutrients and help in fighting against infection surrounding the implant.
- Floss – Flossing help reduce the amount of food debris in between the teeth and the implant. Do this regularly especially at night to remove those food debris to avoid any gum problems.
- Regular Dental Check-ups – It is good to visit your dentist every 6 months, to avoid any other problems which may cause the implant to fail. There are times where infection from another tooth may spread to the implant. Sometimes calculus build up around other teeth can cause problems to your dental implants. You dentist may take an x ray to see how you implant is regularly.
- Rinse Your Denture – Dentures are one of the culprits for implant failure. This is because Denture can accumulate a lot of dirt, food, and eventually bacteria. These can penetrate into the gums surrounding the implant causing infection. Soak your denture in specific cleaner or brush your denture regularly.
- Oral Irrigator – There are many oral irrigators in the market but most important is how you use it. Read the instruction manual on each of them. Any of them are great and the main idea is to remove as much debris as you can between the natural teeth and the implant.
- Sugar Free Chewing Gum – After food, it is good to chew sugar free chewing gum. After food your mouth becomes very acidic which cause bacteria to thrive, so by chewing on sugar free chewing gum you are promoting salivary flow which can neutralize the acid in your mouth, reducing the bacteria. In addition, chewing the gum will help remove food debris inside the mouth. Know more about chewing gums here (https://www.smileway.my/can-chewing-gum-really-clean-your-mouth/)
- Take supplements – Before taking any supplements it is good to consult your medical doctor to see if you are suitable for it. Supplements like multivitamins can actually increase your immune system to fight against diseases and bacteria infections, thus keeping you healthy.
- Keep Healthy –To allow your dental implant last longer, we have to take into consideration of your general health. People who are much healthier, occasionally dental implants will last longer. So regular medical check-ups are important, healthy diet, and exercises are one of the key success for long lasting dental implants. To know more Top 10 Best Food for your teeth click here (https://www.smileway.my/top-10-best-food-for-your-teeth/)
These are some of the steps you can take to have a long-lasting dental implant inside your mouth. After all, we all want to make sure we are problem free and we can enjoy our life and food for many years. In Smileway Dental we take care of your smile because we believe in “Creating Smiles That Matters” in your life. Take care everyone.
