More and more people in Vancouver are choosing dental implant procedures due to our aging population and influx of immigrant families. If you are interested in this procedure, it is vital to learn how to properly clean and care for dental implants in order to prolong their appearance and lifespan. Improper maintenance of dental implants can lead to inflammation in the gums, loss of bone, and even removal of the dental implant itself.
Causing you pain and thousands of dollars in medical and dental procedures. Cleaning your dental implants regularly and properly can provide you with a bright, healthy, and attractive smile for years to come.
You must get your dental implants done from a good clinic like Smile Well Dental. Your dental neglect can cause faulty dental implants and inflammation of the gums, but so can a procedure done by inexperienced hands.
What is Peri-Implantitis?
Peri-Implantitis is the disease you will have to deal with if you don’t clean your implants correctly or if you don’t go for professional cleaning as and when recommended.
It is a gum disease, but you get it for your implants. Due to peri-implantitis, your gums could experience inflammation, and the bone in the area could shrink. It can be the primary reason for your dental implants falling out.
The symptoms imitate periodontal disease. You will notice the tissues surrounding your implants turning a disturbing red and swelling. If you touch it, you might feel a soft sting. When you try brushing and flossing, the area might start bleeding.
Any tartar that forms in the area might be unusually visible. If you notice the symptoms and take measures by cleaning before Peri-Implantitis occurs, your implants could be spared a tragic fate.
How to Clean Single Dental Implants
- Clean at least twice a day
- Use a soft-bristle toothbrush
- Use a low-abrasive toothpaste
- Brush all around (even under) the implant crown
- Use a nylon coated interdental brush to clean hard-to-reach places
- Floss daily with unwaxed tape or crown and bridge floss (an implant-specific floss)
- Use a water flosser (also known as oral irrigator)
Related Post: Dentures vs Dental Implants – Smile Well Dental in North Vancouver
Related Post: What Should I Do When I’m Missing Teeth? Single vs. Multiple Dental Implants
How to Clean All-on-4 Implants
- Follow the same 7 steps as above (“How to Clean Single Dental Implants”)
- Pay extra attention to and remove food debris stuck between the bridge and gum line
- Use a rubber stimulator to remove bacteria and particles—stay on low-medium setting
- Use a sulcus brush for the transition area between the bridge and the soft tissue
Related Post: What Are All-on-X Dental Implants?
How to Clean Overdentures
- Brush the underside of the denture with a soft-bristled brush at least once daily
- Soak the denture in a specific cleaner overnight
- Rinse thoroughly with water before placing back into your mouth
- Inspect o-rings, locator caps, and clips every day; visit a dentist if parts are worn or missing
- Consult your dentist about replacing o-rings and locator caps once a year
Extra Tips to Help Make Your Dental Implants Last Longer
“Dental implants and overdentures do not decay due to the strong material,” says Dr. Shin, a leading dentist in North Vancouver. “But your gums and supporting bone structures do as they remain exposed to bacterial decay, inflammation, and infection.” Learning how to care for your dental implants every single day is essential to prolonging their lifespan. Deep cleaning regularly will make it last even longer, and ensure your gums and bones remain healthy.
Related Post: Do I Need Dental Implants?
Here are tips to help prolong the life of your dental implants:
Regularly visit your dentist for deep cleaning
Regular checkups and teeth cleaning with your dentist allow you to confirm that your implants are functioning properly. Not only that, it allows your dentist to determine your overall oral health.
Avoid damaging cleaning products
Baking soda, hard-bristled toothbrushes, and strong cleansers are all examples of abrasive products that can permanently damage your dentures.
Avoid bleach and chlorine cleansers
Oral products containing bleach may weaken and change the colors of your dentures, while chlorine cleansers can corrode the metal portion of implants.
Reduce consumption of hot water
Hot or boiling water can distort the shape of your dentures.
Avoid biting on hard items
Biting ice cubes, hard candies, and pencils may damage or break your crowns and dentures.
Find treatment for teeth grinding
Teeth grinding (bruxism) can cause lasting damage to your dental implants due to the excess force.
Quit smoking
Smoking can inflame the gums, and stain your dentures and crowns. Therefore, we recommend you quit smoking immediately. Discuss with your dentist or doctor for tips on how to stop.
Visit Smile Well Dental if you are interested in learning more about dental implants or other options for chipped or missing teeth.
Do you need to remove dental implants for cleaning?
If your dental implant comes with a permanent crown, it is not something you can remove for cleaning. Instead, there are artificial implants you can remove. However, depending on the one you chose, it could be party implanted inside your bone to make it as authentic as possible.
Not removing isn’t an issue either. For the most part, cleaning it regularly is the least you can do in your home.
It is recommended that you make regular appointments with your dentist for professional cleaning. Other than checking your oral health, your dentist will also clean the area over your gum and the tissue around it. Usually, the method used to clean is called scaling. This way, the plaque that generally forms under the gum is removed. This is the part you wouldn’t reach with regular cleaning.
Is it okay to use mouthwash after a tooth implant?
While it is fine to use mouthwash after getting tooth implants, you should not use it until a few days after the surgery. You have to give your wounds enough time to heal before mouthwash is acceptable. Depending on your dentist, you might even get recommendations for specific kinds of mouthwash not to irritate your implants.
For the most part, avoiding mouthwash with alcohol in them is best. But, of course, once your procedure-related wounds have healed, even alcohol mixed mouthwash is safe.
