Steps You Can Take to Ensure a Successful Dental Implant Procedure
Posted on 1/25/2021 by Cole Anderson, DMD, MS
Do you want to ensure a successful outcome for the placement of your dental implants? If so, you need to prepare well and follow our instructions for dental implant care. The following information can be used to enlighten you on the care and maintenance of your new implants.
Preventing Infection
Just because you receive implants does not mean you should stop your dental care routine. While implants do not support real teeth, they should be cared for in the same way as your natural teeth. Otherwise, you can experience periodontal disease, or a condition known as peri-implantitis, an infection around the implant site. Peri-implantitis often leads to implant failure if the proper steps are not taken to treat it. To prevent any type of infection, you need to brush at least twice a day and floss, at the minimum, once daily.
What You Should Eat and Other Important Steps
As your bone and implant fuse together during the healing process, you want to make sure you do not jar anything loose or cause your implant to shift. Therefore, take it easy when it comes to eating anything hard or sticky. In fact, try to stay away from these types of foods altogether. If you have problems with grinding your teeth at night, ask about getting a night guard to keep you from the practice. Bruxism, or grinding and clenching the teeth, can damage an implant and lead to failure, so you need to address the condition before you have an implant placed. You should also wear a mouthguard if you are regularly involved in contact sports or follow an active exercise routine.
Do you have any questions about getting implants? If so, give us a call now. We can schedule an appointment for you so you can consult with us and learn more about the procedure.