Dental implants are one of the most effective treatments for missing or severely damaged teeth. They consist of a slender metal rod, similar to a screw, that is inserted directly into the jaw bone and acts as a sturdy root for an artificial tooth or set of teeth.
If you look after your implants well and maintain good oral hygiene practices, they can last you a lifetime, but what constitutes proper dental implant care?
Dental Implant Care: Immediately After Surgery
For the first week or so after your dental implant surgery, you may experience symptoms such as swelling, tenderness, bruising, and minor bleeding. These are all normal and nothing to be concerned about. However, there are certain things you can do to reduce your discomfort and encourage healing.
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Be Careful What You Eat and Drink
As with many dental procedures, after having dental implants fitted, there are certain foods you should avoid during the healing process. These include chewy foods which can be painful to eat; crunchy foods, such as nuts and seeds, that can get into the dental implant site; and spicy or acidic food that can irritate the gum tissue. Hot food and drink should also be avoided for the first 24 hours as they can cause bleeding.
Instead, opt for soft, nutritious foods that are easy on your mouth, such as cool soups, smoothies, scrambled eggs, and mashed vegetables. Eating cold food such as ice cream can also bring some relief and reduce swelling after getting dental implants.
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Keep Your Mouth Clean
Dental implant surgery can leave your mouth feeling sore, and you may not feel like brushing your teeth, but it’s crucial that you maintain good oral hygiene practices to avoid infection. Continue to brush and floss your other teeth as normal (though opening your mouth to floss may be difficult in the first few days) but don’t use water jet flossers as they may dislodge the blood clot.
After a few days, you should be able to brush around the dental implant site with a soft brush but take great care. A good way to keep your mouth and healing dental implants clean is by rinsing with warm salt water after eating.
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Avoid Using Drinking Straws
The sucking motion needed to drink from a straw can disrupt any blood clots that may have formed around the dental implant and prolong the healing process. Smoking, including e-cigarettes, can also have this effect.
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Don’t Smoke or Drink Alcohol
Smoking has significant adverse effects on oral hygiene, and you should consider quitting. After getting dental implants, it is particularly harmful as it can delay healing and hinder osseointegration, the process where the jaw bone fuses to the implant to create a sturdy base for the artificial tooth.
Drinking alcohol can make your mouth dry, making it more difficult for the gums around dental implants to heal. If you are taking medication, such as painkillers or antibiotics, you should always consult with your dentist before drinking alcohol.
Dental Implant Care: Cleaning Tips
Oral hygiene is vital for your overall health, and you should take as much care of your dental implants as your natural teeth. Failing to keep the area around your implant clean can lead to peri-implantitis (bone-loss around implants) and mucositis (gum inflammation around dental implants). Fortunately, dental implant care is very similar to regular teeth cleaning.
You must brush and floss your dental implants and the area around them every day, paying special attention to the places where the implant meets the gumline. Many products, such as floss and interdental brushes, are available that have been designed to help you keep your implants clean. If you’re struggling to clean around your dental implants, ask your No Gaps Dental dentist at your next appointment for some advice.
Dental Implant Care: Avoiding Breakages
One of the benefits of dental implants is that they both look and act like natural teeth, unlike some other forms of tooth replacement. They are incredibly strong and are much less likely to break than regular dental bridges or removable dentures.
However, certain things could lead to breakages. These include:
- Biting into hard foods such as hard candy or popcorn kernels.
- Chewing ice, pen lids, and other hard objects.
- Using teeth to open bottles or snap plastic tags.
- Doing high-impact sports without wearing a mouthguard.
All of the above behaviours are also damaging for natural teeth and can lead to cracks or breakages. They should be avoided whether or not you have dental implants.
Dental Implant Care: Attending Check-Ups
Routine trips to your dentist and dental hygienist are essential for your oral health and overall well being, and this is even more important when you have dental implants. Your dentist can help ensure there are no issues with your implant and, if a problem such as mucositis begins to arise, they will be able to catch it early and help you get on top of it.
Get Premium Dental Care at No Gaps Dental
At No Gaps Dental, our skilled team of dentists are highly experienced and knowledgeable about dental implants and other forms of tooth replacement. In addition to our talented and friendly staff, we have state-of-the-art technologies and treatments to bring you the best dental care possible, such as CEREC crowns, which are designed, milled, and fitted in the same appointment using cutting edge CAD/CAM technology and milling equipment.
If you are considering getting a dental implant, or have questions about how to care for an existing implant, call us today at (02) 8806 0227 to schedule your first consultation in one of our 15 locations in Sydney.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.