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 important 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. Making sure to brush at least twice a day and preferably after any meal or snack is the first step to a good hygiene process. Flossing after lunch and prior to bed will not only help to keep the area surrounding the implant clean, but will help preserve your other teeth. Finally, using a good mouthwash both in the morning and prior to bed will cut down on 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.