Dental Implant Maintenance And Care
You have finally done and made an investment in dental implants and now, you are thrilled with your new and improved smile. However, there’s more to your dental health you need to be concerned about. It is important that you continue to work on your smile and take care of your implants so you get long term use out of them. Here are the top four tips to consider when considering your dental implant maintenance and care routine.
Your Dental Implant Maintenance Should Avoid Harsh Cleaning Products
This may be common sense for many, but you should avoid any kind of dental cleaning products with abrasives in them. This means you will want to choose toothpaste and mouthwashes that are designed for sensitive teeth. If you want to put in the extra effort to reduce your discomfort, you may want to eliminate any kind of products with a strong flavor to them such as mint or cinnamon.
Be Sure To Use A Soft Toothbrush As Part Of Your Dental Implant Maintenance Program
When you avoid harsh cleaning products, you will want to be sure to eliminate any hard bristled toothbrushes. Instead, select a soft nylon brush. The softer, the better it is for proper brushing techniques. Soft nylon brushes have gentle pliable bristles that will give your implants a long life. Toothbrushes with hard bristles have a tendency to scratch the surface of your implants. Damages to your implants will likely mean you’ll need to return to the dentist office along with an added expense.
If you are serious about dental implant maintenance, recycle your old toothbrush and consider toothbrushes specifically designed for implant care such as the Oral B Floss Action or Cross Action heads. Your dentist may also suggest specialized toothbrushes that can get between teeth for deep cleaning.
Avoid Hard Foods When Starting Your Dental Implant Maintenance
When we restore our smile, the last thing we want to hear is that there are foods we can’t eat anymore. However, for optimal care immediately after your surgery, you will want to avoid eating harsh foods such as apples, hard candly like Gobstoppers, chips, carrots, tough meat and others.
Avoiding these kinds of foods while you are recovering from surgery will minimize any kind of discomfort and generally will improve your recovery time. Once you have completely recovered from surgery, you can slowly incorporate normal foods again.
To minimize damage to your implants, most dentists will recommend that you avaoid hard foods altogether.
Be Sure To Floss Regularly As Part Of Good Dental Implant Maintenance
The American Dental Association recommends flossing as a regular part of good oral health in order to avoid cavities and tooth decay. While flossing around your natural teeth is important, it is even more important with your dental implants. Just like your natural teeth, plaque can build up around your implants and cause severe damage to them over time.
If you are inclined to forget when to floss, try setting a reminder or alarm on your phone to do it everyday. You can also keep dental floss in your pocket or car so that it is always accessible. Just be sure to floss about 30 minutes after every time you eat.
Ask Us About Proper Dental Implant Maintenance
Whether you recently had dental implant surgery or are considering getting implants, turn to the experts at the Dental and Denture Care Center to answer all your questions. For more information about dental implants or how to care for them, please call The Dental and Denture Care Center at (352) 848-1050 or contact us through our website here to schedule your appointment today. Our team of dental experts are here to give you the best smile of your life.
