Dental implants yield an encouraging 90 percent success rate among patients, making them a popular and viable solution for tooth loss among adults everywhere. According to medical experts, the remaining ten percent of failures, however, occur due to predictable and otherwise preventable causes. Bad oral hygiene and habits like smoking often top the list.

The chances of dental implants embedding on your jawbone successfully depends on how well you care for your dental implants, especially during the period when the implant fuses with your jawbone. With that in mind, be sure to do the following steps.

Dental Implants

Brush and Floss Your Implants

Most patients believe that they don’t have to worry about caring for their implants, something that can increase the chance of their dental implants failing. This is because plaque and bacteria can accumulate around the implant, leading to infections and bone loss. Likewise, brushing and flossing your teeth should still be a part of your everyday routine.

Avoid Grinding

Even though your implants may have been on your mouth for several months, grinding your teeth may still cause the implants to fail. Grinding exerts excessive side-to-side pressure on the implant site, causing trauma and consequently leading to bone loss.

Dental implants are still a viable option for patients who tend to grind their teeth, but it’s recommended for them to address the environmental and emotional stress triggers that may be behind their grinding. Wearing mouth guards are also recommended in protecting the implants.

Picking the Best Tools

Though caring for your implants should be done the way you care for your natural teeth, this does not mean that you should use the same tools to do both. Unlike your natural teeth, dental implants are made of different materials, and scratches caused by improper tools may cause bacteria buildup.

Your dentist in Greenville, SC may recommend using instruments like scalers and curettes, which do a better job at keeping your implants clean and polished. Often made of plastics and resins, these instruments maintain the polished, smooth surface of an implant’s abutment and crown.

Curb Smoking

Smoking prevents impedes the jaw’s ability to heal itself after dental implant surgey, making it difficult for the implant to fully integrate with the jawbone. For those who find it hard to quit the habit completely, cutting back on the number of cigarettes they smoke every day can already make a significant difference.

Finally, don’t forget your regular visits to a cosmetic dentist, like those from Falls Park Dentistry in Greenville, SC. You and your dentist should work as a team to ensure that your dental implants will not only be a success, but will also last for a long time.

Sources
Dental Implants: Tips for Success, The Epoch Times
Dental Implant Maintenance, Dear Doctor