Choosing to invest in dental implants to replace your missing or failing teeth is a big deal. You have to commit to the time, financial investment, and physical stresses of the surgical procedure, but the end result is always something to feel proud of!
However, as amazing as dental implants are, they still need to be cared for to prevent failing. One of the most common concerns for dental implants is peri-implantitis. This is an inflammatory condition, similar to gum disease, that affects the tissues surrounding a dental implant. When left unchecked, peri-implantitis can cause complete dental implant failure, leading to the implant being extracted and the entire process being performed over again!
At Balmoral Dental Centre, we have a lot of experience treating peri-implantitis. Early intervention can save your dental implant investment. But the best way to keep your implant healthy is proactive care. Below, we’ve listed the four best tips on how to prevent peri-implantitis and ensure your dental implant can keep you smiling for years to come!
4 Tips to Keep Your Dental Implant Healthy.
- Floss Around Your Implant – Just because your dental implant is an artificial tooth doesn’t mean you can avoid flossing. Food, bacteria, and plaque can still build up on the tissues surrounding a dental implant and cause infection. Flossing will help remove that bacteria and keep your mouth clean. If you are not sure how, make sure to ask us when you visit!
- Brush Often – No matter how many teeth you have replaced with dental implants, you still need to brush your teeth and gums. This removes most of the bacteria that can lead to peri-implantitis and implant failure. By simply brushing twice a day, or after every meal, you’ll be sure to keep your implant healthy.
- Routine Dental Check Ups -It is important to keep routinely visiting Balmoral Dental Centre for hygiene cleanings and check ups after you have an implant placed. These visits allow our skilled doctors to identify if there are any signs of peri-implantitis and treat those symptoms before they get worse. Additionally, we like to keep an eye on your implant to make sure everything is functioning and healing properly. This is done by:
- visual examination of the area as well as gentle flossing and probing around the implant.
- yearly close up x-ray of the implant (called a PA x-ray) to check the health of the bone around the implant and monitor its height compared to historical records.
- Don’t Smoke – Smoking is harmful to your gum tissues and other soft tissues of the mouth. Routine smoking can cause these tissues to become infected and lead to gum recession or peri-implantitis. You’ve gone so far to get a beautiful, functional, and complete smile, so avoiding smoking will help keep your smile healthy!
Its not easy to quit, however, start small, even reducing the amount of cigarettes would do wonders for your general health as well as your implants.
Get Checked for Peri-Implantitis Today!
Don’t let peri-implantitis sneak up on you! Call Balmoral Dental Centre today at 07 3399 6288 to schedule an appointment and be evaluated by our exceptional team!