7 key tips to take care of your dental implants

If you have dental implants or know someone who does, in this article we give you some key tips on how to take care of them.

Oral hygiene is essential to prevent the risk of oral diseases such as caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. In the case of patients with implants, hygiene plays a decisive role in the long-term success of the treatment. The gums of implants are not usually as strong as those of teeth, so it is important to avoid inflammation due to plaque accumulation.

1. The importance of brushing

The first and most important thing is to brush your teeth after every meal. But how and with what?

It is advisable to use medium hard toothbrushes, whether you use manual or electric toothbrushes. Never forget to brush your tongue, as it is a storehouse of bacteria. Which toothpaste is the most suitable? Each person is different, explain us your case and we will recommend the most suitable one.

Oral hygiene should be thorough and thorough to avoid food getting stuck in any gaps and consequently having problems such as bad breath or gum problems. To avoid this, we recommend you to complete your hygiene using other accessories. In the case of dental implants there are special brushes that allow you to reach all the spaces.

Remember! 3 minutes is the recommended time for a complete and effective hygiene.

2. Don’t forget the gaps

Dental floss will allow you to remove bacterial plaque that may appear between the teeth, spaces where the toothbrush cannot reach. If you can only use it once a day, we recommend that you do it at night.

Interproximal brushes are ideal for people with large spaces between teeth, or for people with orthodontic appliances. If when using it you notice that it does not fit comfortably, do not force it, perhaps you should use a smaller one or floss directly.

The dental irrigator is the latest system to complete oral hygiene, especially indicated in cases of difficult access to the spaces in the mouth, between teeth, implants or orthodontic appliances. At Ahoa Clinic we have a selection for each case, contact us!

3. A good mouthwash

When choosing the mouthwash for rinsing, you have to take into account that there are many types of mouthwashes, some of which contain fluoride and other antiseptics that help prevent cavities and infections. The best thing to do is to ask for advice on which is the most recommended for each one.

Keep in mind that the most important thing is brushing, the mechanical effect. Therefore, the active mouthwash, that which has an antiseptic effect (chlorhexidine, for example), is not recommended unless we are facing an inflammatory process of the gums.

4. Completely clean mouth

An extra to get even cleaner teeth is the use of disclosing tablets, available in pharmacies. These are erythrosine tablets (a pigment that is used as a food coloring) that when spread over your teeth with the help of the tongue, they stain those areas where there is bacterial plaque. If you use them, you should brush your teeth as you normally would, but with more effort in the areas that have been stained.

5. Bad vices

And, although it may seem that a hygiene routine is enough to keep your implants in perfect condition, there are also a number of habits that we recommend you to eliminate, such as smoking. Not only can it stain implant crowns and teeth, but it can also cause a decrease in the process of implant integration in the bone and a loss of the gum’s ability to defend itself against bacteria.

6. Be careful with medications

Regarding the consumption of medicines, only when it is essential, since the unregulated consumption of some of them may alter your implants.

If you take any medication of the bisphosphonate family to strengthen the bones (indicated for osteoporosis), please consult us. It will be necessary to follow a regular control by means of radiographic tests, since in some cases there are important alterations in the integration of the implants.

7. The obligatory visit

And finally, remember to have a regular check-up. A six-monthly visit is the norm, twice a year if you have implants and have had gum problems.

If the mouth is in good health, hygiene advice is followed correctly and there are no gum problems or tobacco use, the visit can be once a year.

As they say, prevention is better than cure.