Taking Care of Your Dental Implants in Three Easy Steps

Anyone with dental implants knows the expense that has gone into the removal of the old tooth as well as for the placement of the implant. For this reason, it becomes of significant importance to care for the new implant. If done properly it can last for a very long time. Your periodontist will have specific instructions for you to follow immediately after surgery. Here are three easy steps to make your implant last longer and keep your mouth healthy:

Avoid Smoking- Smoking tops the list for increasing the risk of implant-related complications. Therefore, it’s essential for individuals who plan on getting or who already have implants to quit smoking.

Oral Hygiene– General Oral hygiene becomes even more important once an implant is in place. Brushing at least twice daily and preferably after meals or snacks is the first step to a good hygiene process. Flossing after lunch and before bed will help keep the area surrounding the implant clean but will help preserve your other teeth. Finally, using a good mouthwash both in the morning and before bed will reduce the bacteria that can cause plaque and gingivitis.

Regular Maintenance- Making sure to keep up with your routine checkups becomes of vital importance once you have implants in place. Because an issue with these implants or the development of periodontal disease may not cause pain, it becomes doubly important that you and your dentist see one another regularly.

Author

Magi Crofcheck DDS Dr. Magi Crofcheck completed her specialty training in Periodontics and Oral Implantology at the University of Texas Dental Branch. She is certified to provide oral and intravenous sedation to her patients and is also certified to provide continuing education credits to other dental professionals. Dr. Crofcheck performs esthetic techniques including hard and soft tissue grafting, hard and soft tissue augmentation, and implants. She believes in giving back to the community by volunteering her time to provide services to those less fortunate through events such as Dentistry for the Heart and has even traveled as a missionary to foreign countries. Dr. Crofcheck is a member of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI), Southwest Society of Periodontists (SWSP) and the American Dental Association (ADA). She is also a Program Provider for Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) Program Approval for Continuing Education (PACE).