Caring for Your Dental Implants Daily
If you have dental implants, you probably are wondering what you can do for daily care when it comes to taking care of them in the same way that you would take care of natural teeth. Fortunately, there are not really a lot of differences when it comes to proper oral hygiene. The first thing that you have to do is start with good brushing and flossing habits and then use specialized products as needed, as long as they are recommended by your dentist. In addition, you should get regular dental checkups and know what to look for as the first sign of a problem so that you can schedule an appointment immediately if needed.
Daily Care
You already know that you need to brush your teeth and floss on a daily basis. The biggest change between implants and natural teeth is that if you were previously using a toothpaste that had a lot of ingredients for whitening, such as baking soda or something similar, you will want to change to a different toothpaste. Choose one that controls tartar and that does not have abrasive ingredients. By the same token, make sure that you are not using a firm toothbrush, as this can have the same effect. Floss as you would normally do, being careful not to go so deep as to allow the floss to come into direct contact with your gums.
Specialized Products
In some cases, your dentist might recommend specialized products such as a certain mouthwash or even a specially-designed brush that can be used to remove plaque that is located between the teeth. If you have any doubts about using a certain product, contact your dentist before you do so. That way you know that you are not using something that could potentially harm your implants.
Overall Care
If you do happen to notice a problem, you should contact your dentist right away. Typically, the first problem you will notice is excessive bleeding in the gums. If this goes unchecked, it can eventually lead to a disease that causes bone loss and the implant might have to be removed so it is important that you get it checked out right away. If the disease is caught early enough, it is usually possible for them to successfully treat it. You should make regular dentist visits even if you don’t have any problems. This way, your dentist can check for issues with the gums that you might not have noticed, as well as do X-rays and other things to ensure continued good oral health.
