People might have lost some or all of their natural teeth due to various circumstances. Fortunately, they can restore their smiles back again with dental implants. While dental implants are excellent solutions, they require regular cleaning and maintenance.
There is bad hygiene and good hygiene when it comes to cleaning dental implants. Most beginners have a tough time adjusting to the cleaning routine for advanced dental implants. Learning how to clean and maintain your dental implants will help you follow the right regimen for care.
Here is how to clean dental implants properly:
Develop a dental implant cleaning routine.
A daily dental implant cleaning regimen is important because you can breed bacteria and plaque quickly. This will eventually cause an infection in the tissue and implant failure. Those who have dental implants have an important role to play in removing plaque and bacteria regularly.
Clean with low-abrasive toothpaste.
Just like you would with real teeth, dental implants and your mouth should be brushed with toothpaste. To ensure the exposed elements of an implant do not get scratched, use a low-abrasive toothpaste. Do not use any toothpaste or gel with sodium fluoride, stain removers, or baking soda, as all of these can cause irreparable damage to your implant.
Brush your teeth twice a d.ay
Take a soft-bristle toothbrush and clean twice a day if you have a single implant. This will help remove unwanted bacteria or food material affixed to or around the dental implants. When brushing, be sure to brush under and around the implant crown if it’s a single implant. This will dislodge anything that could be caught in this area.
Brush dental implants carefully.
One brushes dental implants much like they do natural teeth. Brush at a 45-degree angle and toward the gum line. Short strokes should be taken. Focus on one tooth at a time, moving along the natural pathway of your teeth line. You don’t want to apply too much pressure on the gum tissue, either, but you do want to make sure any debris is fully removed.
Floss hard-to-reach places.
For hard-to-reach areas, use a Nylon-coated interdental brush. This will help get into these areas of the mouth that a regular brush wouldn’t reach. Also, floss daily with unwaxed tape or implant-specific floss. Your oral surgeon or denturist might recommend a specific type of floss. This, again, limits the likelihood of plaque accumulation and developing an infection.
Soak dental implants in cleaner daily.
For overdentures, a lot of the cleaning is similar but also different. For removable dentures, take them out and soak them in cleaner overnight or for the recommended period. This is guaranteed to take care of any bacteria and keep your dentures fresh for wearing. Leaving dentures longer than is recommended and failing to soak them can have the opposite effect.
Rinse before placing dental implants in mouth.
Before you go to place your dentures back into your mouth, rinse them off thoroughly with lukewarm water. This will ensure that they’ve been given a good rinse and that the cleaner isn’t transferring to the mouth. This will also rinse away any debris that’s been loosened and which shouldn’t be reinserted into the oral cavity.
Address gum irritation quickly.
Peri-implantitis is the top reason why dental implants fail. If you catch it early, though, you can treat it and, hopefully, avoid the worst. Look for any gum irritation that may exist if you notice red, swollen, or tender tissue that bleeds when it is brushed and flossed. That’s a warning sign.
Any moderate plaque or tartar buildup is also something to be careful with and ensure you are properly cleaning those dental implants. If that catch that irritation early and get it looked at, reversing the development is peri-implantitis is likely.
Inspect your dental implants.
Look at how clean your dental implants are regularly. Examine the o-rings, locator caps, and clips. If you’re noticing any wear or missing pieces, be sure to notify your dentist quickly and to have it addressed. You want your dentures fitting as intended. When there is wear on the denture or something’s missing, they aren’t going to fit correctly, and this could lead to sores or discomfort.
Treat broken dental implants as an emergency.
Many denturists offer emergency appointments if dental implants break, loosen, and/or fall out. If you continue trying to wear broken dental implants or attempt to fix them yourself, it is very likely more damage will be caused, which will be more costly to resolve. If there is an issue, be sure to schedule an appointment to have it examined.
Visit a dentist once per year.
Lastly, schedule a routine visit with your dentist once a year where they can inspect the o-rings and locator caps and determine if there are replacements needed. They can also help adjust the fit if they’re not quite as comfortable as they used to be and/or spot issues as they arise instead of letting oral issues fester and gradually worsen over time.
