When you start the healing journey after dental implant surgery, you may be looking forward to the many benefits that come with this tooth replacement option. They can help you feel more confident about your smile while making it easier to eat certain foods. Better yet, they even have a 98% success rate!
The odds are in your favor, but without the proper care, you may find yourself in that less than 5% of cases where the dental implants fail. Thankfully, there are four simple habits that you can adopt to ensure your restoration is protected. Read on to learn more about them.
1.) Keep Up With Your Oral Hygiene
While the dental implant and restoration won’t get cavities, they can still be attacked by bacteria in your mouth. Without a proper oral care routine, you risk your gums becoming infected in a condition known as gum disease. If left untreated, this can lead to a weakened jawbone and an unstable dental implant.
You can care for your dental implant just as you would your natural teeth. Brush twice and floss once daily to remove any bacteria around the dental implant. Rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash can help ensure your smile stays protected and clean.
2.) Watch What You Eat
Dental implants are known for their reliability and sturdiness, but they can still be damaged by hard foods, just like natural teeth. Biting down on hard candies, nuts, and ice can cause the restoration to crack. Additionally, sticky sweets can get stuck between your teeth, increasing the risk of gum disease.
3.) Break Unhealthy Habits
Smoking or chewing tobacco can affect the healing process after dental implant surgery. They can contribute to dry mouth, which affects saliva production that is needed to wash away harmful bacteria. As well, tobacco can reduce blood circulation, leaving you at a greater risk of gum disease and improper healing.
4.) Have Routine Dental Visits
By visiting your dentist every six months, you’ll be able to spot and stop any signs of dental implants failure as early as possible. They are trained to see the early signs of dental implant failure. Your dentist will take action to create a plan that addresses the problems before they become serious. When these oral health issues are caught early, you lower your risk of dental implant failure!
Dental implants are a reliable solution to gaps in your smile. To ensure you stay in the 98% of successful treatments, follow these tips to enjoy a healthy grin for the long haul.
About the Practice
At Premier Dental, you benefit from a husband-and-wife dental duo who are dedicated to helping you rebuild a confident smile. Dr. Adam Jones and Dr. Giuliana Diaz Jones are members of the American College of Prosthodontists, ensuring they stay up to date on restorative dental treatments to provide you with the best care possible.
With their knowledge and decades of combined experience, they can complete the entire dental implant process in-house. You can rest easy knowing that they’ll give you the information you need to have a successful treatment. If you want to learn more or have gaps in your smile that you’d like to fill, schedule an appointment or call us at (772) 234-5353.