Dental implants may be false teeth, but you have to take as much care of them as you do your natural teeth. While implants may not decay, they can develop problems. As well as threatening the longevity of the implant itself, some problems can also cause issues around your gums.
So, you need to keep implants as clean as you can. As well as brushing them well, you should also floss them. You may find it easier and more effective to use a machine flosser here.
What are the advantages of using a water flosser around dental implants?
Get More Effective Results
Flossing between natural teeth isn't always easy. If your teeth are crowded together, then you'll find it hard to get a floss string between them.
In some cases, this happens with implant teeth too. For example, if an implant post has to go in at even a slight angle to hit the right amount of bone, then the tooth may end up touching its neighbour. You may find it hard to get floss between the two.
If you allow bacteria to build up on or around an implant tooth, then you may suffer from later problems that affect the bone that holds the post. So, you need to take extra care to keep the tooth clean.
It helps to use a water flosser in these situations. The tool's water spray cleans through even the smallest places where you can't get a standard string of floss. It also removes bacteria film off the tooth and its connecting gum to give you a sound overall clean.
Avoid Flossing Problems
Some people run into difficulties when they use standard floss around implant teeth. These problems can lead to infections and, ultimately, bone loss, both of which could make an implant fail.
For example, if you have a tight spot next to an implant tooth, you may have problems getting string floss in and out of the gap. Sometimes, the string will get caught between the teeth and fray. This can leave tiny particles of floss caught between the tooth and the gum. This can cause an infection.
You also need to take care with the gum around an implant tooth. This is especially important in the early stages of treatment. The gum needs to heal around the tooth to create a peri-implant seal. If you get a bit forceful with string floss, then you could accidentally damage the gum. If this happens, bacteria could get in the area and cause an infection that could jeopardise the implant.
A water flosser helps you avoid these problems. It cleans gently without needing to put foreign objects between your teeth.
To learn more about using a water flosser on dental implants, ask your dentist for advice.
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