Dental Implant Aftercare – Milwaukee, WI
Help Your New Smile Last a Lifetime
One of the most amazing benefits of dental implants is their potential for longevity. When properly maintained, your new teeth can last upwards of 30 years, possibly even for the rest of your life! However, this is only possible with the right dental implant aftercare. On the bright side, caring for dental implants is not that different from caring for the pearly whites you were born with. Keep reading below to learn some easy tips to help your new smile last a lifetime.
Make Oral Hygiene A Priority
Infection of the gums supporting your implant is one of the most common causes of implant failure. Fortunately, preventing this is fairly easy. Brush your implant restoration as you would a natural tooth. Floss around the restoration at least once a day. You might have to use a water flosser to effectively remove food particles and plaque from the area. It also helps to rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash daily. This can clean areas of your mouth that your toothbrush and floss can’t reach.
Protect Your Dental Implants
If you play sports, or even if you engage in solo activities like cycling or jogging, it’s always best to wear a mouthguard to protect your implants as well as your remaining teeth from injury. While mouthguards are sold for cheap at most sporting goods stores, you’re much better off investing in a custom-made one from our office. Because it will fit you more snugly, it will both feel more comfortable and provide a greater level of protection.
People who grind their teeth at night, a condition known as bruxism, should also protect their teeth. The pressure of nightly clenching and grinding can not only wear down or chip the enamel of your natural teeth, but it can place stress on your implants and damage them. We can create a custom nightguard to provide cushioning between your upper and lower jaws.
Lastly, avoid using your teeth for anything other than biting or chewing. It may be tempting to use your teeth to open stubborn packaging or hold extra grocery bags, but doing so could seriously hurt your oral health.
Schedule Regular Recall Visits
We typically recommend that patients with dental implants visit a dentist for checkups at least three or four times a year, especially in the first year after receiving implants. This way, we can make sure everything is going as it should. Also, at these appointments, we can examine your remaining teeth and gums to detect any problem areas and tackle them while treatment is still relatively easy.
Are you interested in replacing your missing teeth with dental implants? Has it been a while since your last checkup and cleaning? Whatever the case may be, our team here at Sweet Smiles Family Dentistry is here to help. Just give us a call today!