5 Tips for Caring for Your Dental Implants

A dental implant should replace a natural tooth, functioning like your natural tooth and helping you avoid problems with gaps and spacing. Yet many people who have dental implants in Gilbert, AZ, are not aware of the special care they need. Here are some tips to help you take care of your implants so they will last.

1. Choose Your Toothbrush Carefully

Brushing your dental implant is just as important as brushing your natural teeth, but you will want the right toothbrush to avoid scratching its surface. Nylon, soft-bristled brushes are the right choice for most patients. These are pliable enough to be gentle on implants.

2. Floss Every Day

If you’re not in the habit of flossing, you’re in good company, as many adults don’t floss daily. However, with an implant, it’s a must. If plaque accumulates around the implant, you can have serious problems with your gums. Make this part of your daily routine.

3. Choose the Right Foods

Hard and sticky foods can damage implants, so you may want to avoid these. For example, chewing ice or hard candies could damage your implant. Some foods, like apples or carrots, would be fine if you cut them prior to eating. Also, these may be less risky after you’ve had the implant a while and it is fully grafted to your bone.

4. Avoid Smoking

Smoking is not a great idea in general, but with an implant, it can create serious risk. Particularly in the first six months, while the area is healing, smoking can increase your risk of infection and cancer in the mouth.

5. Stay Faithful with Your Dental Visits

A dental implant needs care like your natural teeth. While it’s not a natural tooth, it impacts your gums and bone, and you will want to have it regularly cleaned. If you keep up with your dental visits, you can have your implants for life.

Whether you are planning to get an implant or already have one and want help taking care of it, reach out to Kathy Jacobsen Contemporary Dentistry, your Gilbert dentist, for service.