One advantage of dental implants, compared to dentures, is that they do not require you to make big changes to your regular dental hygiene routine. However, there are a few cleaning tips that can help when you are caring for teeth made out of metal and composites rather than natural teeth.
Follow these five tips to keep your implants clean and healthy.
1. Be Gentle When You Brush
Many people make the mistake of brushing dental implants too hard, which can cause scratches to develop on the surfaces of the crowns. As you don't have the intrinsic sensitivity of natural teeth to let you know when you are brushing too hard, it is a good idea to use an electric toothbrush that has a built-in pressure sensor. This sensor will let you know if you are applying too much pressure to your new teeth.
2. Brush With Normal Toothpaste
A standard fluoride toothpaste is the best option for cleaning dental implants. The lather produced makes it easier to brush away pieces of food and traces of dental plaque, while the fluoride strengthens any natural teeth that you still have. Avoid using a toothpaste that contains abrasive ingredients, such as baking soda, as these can cause wear and tear on the surfaces of the dental implant crowns.
3. Floss Every Day
As well as a daily brushing session, your dental implants also need flossing to keep them clean. Every day, slide a piece of string floss between your dental implant crowns to remove food and plaque. If the position or alignment of your dental implants makes using string floss difficult, you could try using an interdental brush instead.
4. Try a Water Flosser
Many people with dental implants find that using a water flosser is an excellent way for them to clean around and between the implant crowns. Dental implants often have hard-to-reach crevices, which are difficult to clean with a toothbrush and string floss. Water flossers are also an excellent choice for people who have limited mobility in their hands.
5. Try Gum Stimulation
If you suffer from poor blood flow in your gums, your dentist might recommend that you try using a gum stimulator to increase the chance of your dental implants successfully integrating into your mouth. Some electric toothbrush models have a gum stimulation mode, which you can use with a special rubber head, to promote healthy blood flow and give the implants the best possible chance of success.
If you are interested in dental implants, talk to a dentist like Complete Dental Care.
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