Intensive dental care is essential so you can enjoy your new dental implant for a long time. Good oral hygiene can prevent inflammation around the implant.
The basis for successful implantation: healthy bones and healthy gums
The prerequisite for good healing of your freshly placed dental implant is a healthy jawbone and healthy gums. These basic requirements form the basis of successful implantation. After healing, your dental implant can carry a stable, implant-supported denture.
Healthy bone substance
Sufficient height and width of the bone substance are important. If the bone is too low or too narrow, the dentist must carry out a bone augmentation before the implantation.
Healthy gums
Healthy gums are so important because they protect your bones. If it inflames your gums, bacteria can easily migrate from the gums to the bone. With periodontitis, the teeth holding apparatus become inflamed by microorganisms. To fight these germs, the body breaks down the affected bones. The teeth can become sensitive to the cold and become loose. With periodontitis, dental implants can heal poorly or not at all. In the worst-case scenario, there is a loss.
Why perfect oral hygiene is crucial?
Dental implants serve as artificial tooth roots nowadays. They thus enable to make fixed dentures stable after tooth loss. The natural tooth root is firmly anchored and well protected in the tooth holding apparatus, the periodontium. Every natural tooth is physiologically anchored in the tooth bone compartment of the jawbone with the help of tight connective tissue fibers. We also find immune cells in the tooth-supporting system.
The teeth holding apparatus are missing in implants. Inflammation- related loosened gums on dental implants are a bacterial entry point to the bone. The gums then no longer lie close to the dental implant, but form minimal “gaps”. Since there are fewer immune cells on dental implants to fight bacteria, optimal oral hygiene is essential.
If bacterial deposits accumulate in the oral cavity because of poor oral hygiene, a bacterial infection occurs. Besides, tartar forms from plaque and minerals from the saliva. If it does not remove this, the microorganisms can spread further and migrate down along the implant. First, the gums loosen up and become inflamed (gingivitis). We can treat this with a thorough cleaning. If cleaning is not carried out, gingival pockets can form. Ultimately, the bone around your implant becomes inflamed. In natural teeth, this inflammation is called periodontal disease. You can usually do this by brushing your teeth regularly and avoid flossing.
Tips for thorough maintenance
Clean teeth and implants morning and evening
The same applies to implants as to the care of your natural teeth: Brush your teeth every day after every meal, but at least twice a day in the morning and the evening. Use the correct brushing technique.
Use an electric toothbrush
Because electric toothbrushes remove up to seven times more plaque than manual toothbrushes, experts recommend that patients with implants brush their teeth with electric toothbrushes. Your dentist will recommend which electric toothbrush is best for you based on your dental findings.
Brush for at least 2 minutes
Dental care with an electric toothbrush makes oral hygiene easier for you. Most models have a built-in timer. The toothbrush switches itself off after 2 minutes.
If you prefer dental care with a manual toothbrush, watch out for time and do not brush too quickly. Each tooth has three accessible tooth surfaces! To clean the entire surface, it takes an average of 2 minutes to clean.
Find the right brush head
Choose an appropriate brush head for your toothbrush. Choose a small brush head rather than one that is too big. With a small brush head, you can also clean hard-to-reach areas.
Use rounded bristles
Pay attention to rounded bristles. This reduces the risk of unnecessarily straining, straining, or injuring your gums.
Do not apply too much pressure
Do not brush your teeth too aggressively and with too much pressure. Too high pressures, regular “scrubbing” and too hard pressing during maintenance can cause your gums to recede in the long term. For your dental implant, this means that the outer protective coating becomes smaller. In the long run, this can lead to the loosening of the implant.
Change the brush head regularly
Change your attachments or toothbrush regularly. Dentists recommend changing your toothbrush every 3 months. Bent and worn bristles can not only take care of your implant and your teeth, but bacteria can also lodge in the brush.
Also, clean the spaces between your teeth
Clean not only your visible chewing and tooth surfaces but also the spaces between your teeth. You can use dental floss or interdental brushes to care for your interdental spaces. This is the only way to remove leftover food in the contact points area.
Dental floss even cleans areas that your toothbrush cannot reach. Interdental brushes are suitable for larger gaps. These are available in different sizes. These interdental brushes can be extremely helpful for implants. It is important to use the size that is right for you. Using a brush that is too large can injure your gums. Your dentist or dental hygienist will recommend the right size.
Regular check-ups and professional tooth cleaning
Go for a dental check-up regularly, at least twice a year.
You should also have professional teeth cleaning service at least once a year.
Mouthwashes
Mouth rinses are offered for better cleaning for implant-supported dentures. However, many patients find the breath neutralization using mouthwashes to be a positive side effect.