Dental Implant Care and 6 Common Concerns

You need to make sure you practice good dental implant care if you are about to get dental implants, so as to you to have a gorgeous smile and get the full benefits of your dental implants. Your dental implant care starts from the minute you walk out of your dentist’s office. Hence, what do you need to do to take care of your implants?

Recovery Period

Healing time after dental implant placement varies depending on the patient, the number of implants placed, and any other services used during implant therapy, such as bone grafting, extractions, or anesthesia.

Over-the-counter pain relievers such as Motrin or Ibuprofen can typically help you get through the first few days after a single-tooth implant procedure. The most common complication of postoperative discomfort is inflammation, which can be reduced by applying a cold compress to the side of your face.

If you have multiple implants and grafts, or if you have had teeth extracted, your recovery time may be extended. Follow the directions on any prescription medication, and stick to a soft diet for the first few days. Follow the surgeon’s instructions to ensure a proper recovery. A detachable healing overdenture covers the teeth during whole-mouth surgery to protect the gum tissue. During the next two weeks, your dentist must remove any non-dissolvable sutures.

Depending on the kind of dental implant surgery, healing times might range from a few days to a few months. A simple single-tooth implant placement, for example, causes only minor discomfort that lasts one or two days. If you have several bone grafts or full-arch endosteal implants, it may take up to three to six months for full integration and healing to be completed.

The bone integration process frequently takes longer than gum healing at the implant site, which usually takes a few weeks. Any dental implant may take four to six months to fully integrate. This means that the implants will be unable to support a fixed (permanent) restoration until the bone and implant have completely fused. Meanwhile, your dentist can fit you with a temporary healing prosthesis such as an overdenture or flipper.

Dental Implants Care

Dental implants care necessarily require almost the same oral hygiene as natural teeth. Extra hygiene equipment may be necessary to clean small regions, such as those beneath implant-supported bridges, All-on-4, or full arch implants. The most important thing is to clean the gums around your tooth replacement and implant repair completely.

Your dentist, hygienist, or implant restoration expert may advise any or all of the following oral hygiene techniques depending on the kind of implant replacement you have.

• Use a high-quality electric toothbrush, and use it twice daily for two minutes each.
• Use an interdental brush to clean the implant abutment on both sides.
• Update to a water flosser to clean the gums surrounding each implant and underneath fixed appliances.
• Once or twice daily, rinse your mouth with an alcohol-free, antibacterial mouthwash.

The goal of your dental implants care is to keep gum inflammation, peri-implantitis, or gingivitis from multilplying around your dental implants area. Good dental hygiene is essential because peri-implantitis is one of the leading causes of implant failure.

Infection Causes

Gum disease or improper insertion procedures are frequently to blame for dental implant failure. Fortunately, you may take precautions to avoid infections and ensure that implant sites heal and integrate correctly.

Up to one out of every ten individuals may become infected after having dental implants. According to research, up to two-thirds of those persons will eventually have their dental implant therapy fail completely. Smoking, periodontitis (gum disease), and infection are all risk factors.

Patients can reduce their risk of infection or treatment failure by maintaining a healthy oral environment before and after dental implant placement.

Q&A

Can you polish implants?

Instead of a brush, a nonabrasive paste and a soft rubber cup can be used to completely polish implants. In places where a rubber cup will not fit, a soft polishing tip can be used. Several polishing materials should never be used on teeth, implants, or cosmetic restorations.

Can implants be cleaned?

Your implants, like natural teeth, require everyday maintenance and cleaning. Each implant takes a different amount of care, but you’ll usually need a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, or a waterpik to clean it.

How do you remove plaque from implants?

While the implant heals, the dentist may advise the patient to use an antibiotic gel or rinse rather than cleaning the area of the mouth where the implant is. After the first healing period, dental implants can be carefully cleaned with a very soft toothbrush and antimicrobial toothpaste.

What is the best toothpaste for implants?

Non-abrasive tartar control toothpaste is ideal for caring for the implant’s surface. Avoid toothpaste containing baking soda, excessive fluoride, and smoking-related goods. Flossing once or twice a day is necessary for maintaining dental implants since it is especially important to clean in between teeth.

Can you use mouthwash with implants?

Following dental implant surgery, you should avoid using mouthwash for about a month. You should also stop actively spitting or swishing in the days following surgery, as this may irritate the surgical spot.

Can dental implants cause dry mouth?

Although xerostomia, or dry mouth, is not a side effect of dental implants, some people may experience it while taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, including pain relievers after an implant has been placed.

Furthermore, having your mouth open for an extended period of time after implant surgery may cause your mouth to feel dryer than usual.

Because alcohol is a natural drying agent, using mouthwashes with alcohol as the main component usually results in dry mouth.

Because xerostomia can lead to tooth decay and gum infections, it is important that you determine the source of your dry mouth and treat the symptoms. In the absence of this, your risk of infection or sensitive gums following dental implant surgery may increase.

Is implant care hard to keep clean?

The surfaces that keep the implant in place have been microscopically roughened for cleaning. Despite the fact that dental implants can be difficult to clean, studies have shown that they have a very high success rate.

Below is an article that Lang moi shares for you, if you have any questions that need to be answered, don’t be hesitate to contact us!

See more:

How to Handle 3 Types Of Dental Emergencies While Working Abroad

Root canal treatment