When you replace missing teeth with dental implants you’re making a lifelong investment in the health and appearance of your smile. The key to keeping your dental implants healthy for a lifetime is to maintain proper oral care your entire life, and not only during the healing process. To help ensure the longevity of your implants and protect your investment, Dr. Harry Albers offers these tips for proper care:
Follow all Post-operative Instructions
It’s vitally important to follow all instructions given by Dr. Albers after your implant placement surgery. Following this advice will allow your body to fully heal and help ensure the success of your implant. You’ll be advised to follow dietary restrictions, eating only soft foods for a few days after your procedure. It’s also advised to avoid anything that can impede healing ability such as smoking and excessive alcohol use.
Practice Proper Oral Care
One of the main benefits dental implants have over other tooth replacement options is that they can be cared for just like your natural teeth. However, neglecting proper oral care after implant placement can increase the risk of bacterial infection and inflammation, eventually causing implant failure. Adhering to an oral hygiene regimen that includes proper brushing and flossing is essential for ensuring a long life for your implants. It’s also important to clean all the spaces around the restoration each night to remove bacteria and food particles that can become trapped over the course of the day.
Keep Your Gums Healthy
Healthy gums are the key to successful dental implants, whether you’ve had one or many teeth replaced. Even though your implants can’t decay like natural teeth, the same oral bacteria that cause cavities can invade the supportive tissues around your implant, leading to a condition called peri-implantitis. Similar to gum disease, peri-implantitis is a bacterial infection that causes the gum tissue surrounding an implant to become inflamed, eventually diminishing bone density and threatening the success of your implant. Fortunately, following proper oral hygiene methods will remove this bacteria from all your teeth and implants to ensure the health of your entire mouth.
Get Regular Checkups
To ensure the ongoing success of your implants it’s important to see your dentist for regular biannual cleanings and checkups. At our practice in Santa Rosa, Dr. Albers and the entire team are dedicated to providing comprehensive care during checkups, including diagnostic, preventive, and educational services. During your checkup, Dr. Albers will examine the health of your entire mouth, paying close attention to any issues that may endanger the future of your implant. If any issues are found, he will work with you to determine a course of treatment to prevent irreparable damage.
Contact Dr. Harry Albers, DDS
Dental implants are often the best choice for many patients who have missing teeth. If you would like to learn more about this tooth replacement option or if you already have implants and would like to schedule a checkup, contact Dr. Albers today!