Dental Implants Fort Worth TX dentist Dr. Snider shares the ways to properly maintain the health and hygiene of your dental implants.
Although one of dental implants’ greatest benefits is that they require no more maintenance than real teeth, it is still important to clean and take care of them. Considering you spent a hefty chunk of money, and may still being paying them off, it only makes sense to keep them healthy so they can last for as long as possible. We like to relate this to the example of buying a new car. For years, you worked tirelessly to afford your dream car and you finally achieved your goal, aren’t you going to take care of the car as much as possible so it looks nice and brand new? The same thing applies to caring for dental implants.
What Are They Made of?
Dental implants are comprised of a light-weight material called titanium alloy, that is able to naturally integrate into the jawbone and allow the dental implant to function just as well, if not better, than the patient’s real tooth. Dentists, over the years, went through various materials and found that titanium alloy was the best element that offered non-decay and natural properties when placed in the jaw, as well as its light- weight advantage being easy to place into patients’ mouths.
Avoid Scratches
Once the dental implants are completely integrated into the jawbone, patients must be aware of keeping them safe from abrasions or scratches. This physical impact can actually cause the dental implant to attract and hide bacteria. Dr. Snider recommends a tool called a scaler, made of plastic or resin, help to clean the implants without violating their smooth surfaces. This is the main difference between natural teeth and dental implants, that patients must be aware of in order to grasp the gravity of the situation.
Consequences of Dental Implant Neglect
There are consequences for those that choose to throw their money away voluntarily, these come in the form of Peri-implantitis, an infection in the gums that ruins the soft and hard tissue surrounding the dental implant or implants. Peri-implantitis is definitely something that patients want to avoid developing considering it initiates the destruction of this tissue, as well as the bone under the implant. If a patient’s dental implants fail due to dental neglect, they will have to have these removed and wait for the gum tissue and jawbone to re-heal before they will be able to qualify for dental implants again in the future. Sometimes it can even take up to a year for patients to completely heal from this devastation.
The Ways to Clean:
- Brush teeth daily to scrub the surface of dental implants with gentle bristles
- Floss thoroughly, patients should be afraid to get between teeth and dental implants to remove plaque
- Utilize Scalers or Curettes, to keep from invading the dental implants’ polished surfaces
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Dental implants are a strong solution to replacing unhealthy or missing teeth, however, they require a certain amount of maintenance to ensure that they are able to function and perform just as well, if not better, than your real teeth for years to come. Now that you are aware of how to properly care for your dental implants, we suggest you implement these steps and tools into your daily routine. If you are interested in achieving better oral and dental health with dental implants, call us today at (817) 697-3488 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Snider.