How To Take Care Of My Dental Implants

Missing teeth can cause a lot of problems. Not only does it look bad, but it can also lead to other health problems.

If you’re missing teeth, you know that it can be difficult to eat your favourite foods, and that your self-confidence may take a hit. You may also be at a higher risk for gum disease and other oral health problems.

Fortunately, dental implants can now replace your recently extracted teeth or damaged teeth. Dental implants are metal screw-like posts attached to the jawbone that replace tooth roots with artificial teeth (or crowns) that appear and function like natural teeth.

If you would like more information about dental implants at Ashburton Dental Centre, please contact us today! We look forward to helping you achieve your best smile ever!

What to Expect After a Dental Implant Procedure?

Minor bleeding is normal following implant placement. The dentist may instruct you to apply pressure for an hour by biting firmly on a gauze pad. Then carefully remove the pad. If necessary, repeat for 30 minutes with another gauze pad. If bleeding persists, bite on a damp tea bag for 30 minutes. Tannic acid in tea leaves aids in blood clotting.

Since the implant fills the gap, there is less bleeding than with tooth extraction as there are no open extraction sites to heal.

You may also have swelling after the implant surgery. Swelling is not noticeable until the day after the procedure and may peak two to three days later. This is a typical side effect and can be alleviated by applying ice packs to the side of the face where the dental implants were attached.

On the day of the procedure, only cold beverages are advised. Keep hydrated but avoid hot drinks, alcoholic beverages, and spicy foods. Wait until the local anaesthesia wears off before eating. Even if eating is difficult for the first several days, keep consuming nutritious food for the rest of the healing period. Soft foods are recommended; avoid foods like popcorn, seeds, and seeded fruit that might become stuck and cause infection. Most people can resume a normal diet within seven to ten days.

The healing period may take a few months to allow the implant to integrate fully with the jawbone.

At Ashburton Dental Centre, we will provide you with a list of recommendations that can help with a successful recovery following implant surgery. Our dental team will also give tips to improve oral health.

How to Take Care of Your Dental Implants?

To ensure that your implant results last as long as possible, you must keep your mouth and surrounding teeth as clean as possible. Brushing your teeth twice daily with a soft-bristle brush is advised. For a few days after treatment, avoid the implanted site. For the first week, eat soft meals and avoid eating on the implant side.

• Low abrasive toothpaste. When brushing your teeth, it is essential to avoid abrasive toothpaste that can damage the structure of your implant.
• Floss daily. Whether you have dental implants or not, flossing is essential.When cleaning around the implants, be sure to use dental floss. Our dentist can advise you on how to floss around a dental implant using a special technique.
• Rinse your mouth. Rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash to make sure that all food particles and bacteria are rinsed away from the implant.
• Use oral irrigator. You can ask the dentist for a recommended oral irrigator that you can use at home, which is a dental device that can remove plaque and food debris through the use of high pressure water.
• Visit a dental clinic. Regular dental checkups are necessary for professional cleanings, to detect any dental problems, and so your dentist can monitor the status of your implants.

These are the steps you should take to care for your dental implants. However, keep in mind that there are specific actions you must take immediately after surgery to care for your implants.

The Benefits of Dental Implant Aftercare

Success treatment

Dental implant aftercare is recommended by dental professionals to ensure the effectiveness of the procedure. To ensure a successful treatment, it is critical to maintain excellent oral hygiene following your dental implant process.

There are several ways you need to follow after implant surgery to help with the success of dental implants. And our dentist will provide you with specific instructions on how to care for your mouth following implant surgery.

Prevent the possible risks

If you do not want to have an infection or other dental implant complications, it is important that you carefully follow your aftercare recommendations.

Dental implants do require routine maintenance. You must have regular checkups and cleanings.

There is a significant chance that your implants will fail if you do not maintain a healthy routine oral hygiene practice and receive continuous professional care. During your appointment, we can assess the health of your dental implants and clean them professionally. We can repair worn components if necessary.

How Long Is the Recovery period for Dental Implants?

The recovery period for dental implant surgery is influenced by a number of factors. Age, health, and hygiene are all factors to consider.

The average healing process for a dental implant procedure is six to eight months, but your recovery duration may be longer depending on the key problem that caused the need for dental implants and any special modifications to your surgery, such as bone grafts.

The success rate of dental implant surgery varies depending on the exact area in the jaw where the implants are placed. Most patients have a 98% success rate with dental implant procedures. Based on the unique health data they have previously gathered, your dentist will be able to provide you with more accurate information on the success rate of your procedure.

Factors that Affect the Healing of Dental Implants

A successful implant heals without infection and integrates with the surrounding bone in the correct alignment. Implant failure occurs when an implant fails to osseointegrate, becomes infected, or fractures.

The most common factors that can affect the success of dental implants are the following:

Oral hygiene habits

Proper oral hygiene is essential while having dental implants placed. Although dental implants are artificial teeth, they still require maintenance. In truth, dental implant oral hygiene is similar to natural teeth oral hygiene. This involves brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and using mouthwash on a daily basis. These practices reduce the quantity of plaque and germs in your mouth, which helps to avoid infection and improve the chances of implant success. In contrast, failing to practice good oral hygiene might lead to your implant being infected and failing.

Tobacco use or smoking habit

Smoking is harmful to both your general and dental health. In turn, this can impact the success of dental implants. As a result of this, there is a higher risk of infection after implant surgery. As a result of this, you may experience excessive bleeding during and after your surgery.

You can discuss this with your dentist prior to the implant procedure.

Bone density

The amount of bone mass in your jaw also has a role in the success of dental implants, as osseointegration requires a specific amount of bone. The jawbone starts to weaken after losing one or more teeth. The longer you delay receiving teeth replacement, the less bone mass your jaw has. Low bone mass patients can still get dental implants, but they may need additional operations like a bone graft.

The health of your gums

Another factor affecting dental implant success is gum health, which is another reason to maintain good oral hygiene. Infections like peri-implantitis, which results in implant failure, are more likely to develop in people who have or have had gum disease in the past. As a result, most dentists recommend treating gum disease so there are no active infections before placing dental implants.

Your diet after implant surgery

What you eat after dental implant surgery also matters. Follow a soft food diet after the surgical procedure. Chewing on the implant side of your mouth should be avoided. Ingesting soft foods helps to avoid damaging your implant before it has healed. A recovering implant might be damaged by chewy, crunchy, or hard foods.

Can You Wear Dentures After Dental Implant Treatment?

Immediate use of partial or full dentures is not recommended after surgery. If you have a denture that covers the implant site, you should try to wear it as little as possible during the initial healing process. During treatment, it is essential to make sure temporary replacement teeth do not exert uncontrolled pressure on the implants.  You will receive specific instructions from your dentist about how to use your denture or replacement teeth after you have implants placed.

What Happens if You Don't Care For Your Dental Implants?

Your mouth has bacteria that can cause tooth decay or gum disease, which is why you brush and floss daily. Combating bacteria buildup is especially crucial if you have implants because it can create an infection around the titanium posts in your jaw. Peri-implantitis is a disorder that causes gum inflammation and perhaps bone loss.

If an infection spreads far enough and there is severe bone loss, the implants will lose their support and might even fall out.

Implants, like natural teeth, require regular care to keep working properly. In addition to good dental hygiene, you should see your dentist twice a year for a cleaning and checkup. Your dentist will check for early symptoms of inflammation, evaluate your implants, and suggest necessary treatments.

Dental implants can restore a strong, healthy smile. Take care of them so they last a lifetime, and you can considerably lower your chances of experiencing such serious complications.

Signs that Your Implants Are Infected or Failing

Pain and difficulty chewing

During the healing process, you may feel pain. But pain can indicate dental implant failure.

Typically, you will feel pain for the first several days of recovery. Intense pain is reduced by taking medications prescribed by the dentist.

In contrast, if a dental implant fails, you will feel excruciating pain in the form of throbbing waves. This discomfort may last for days. If you have these symptoms, go see your dentist for a checkup before it’s too late.

Fever and swelling

Minor swelling near the surgical site is common after receiving dental implants, just like pain. However, it should subside after the first few days. Infection is characterized by increased swelling and redness, particularly when accompanied by fever.

Bad taste

Infections of dental implants are caused by harmful bacteria and debris. As these sit in your gums and seep into your mouth, you may develop an odd, persistent unpleasant taste. You can also experience persistent bad breath.

Loose implant

An implant that is placed correctly won’t feel like a foreign object in your mouth. However, if it fails, the implant may move when you talk and eat, which is the common indicator of implant failure. If you see a loose or shifting dental implant, call your dentist right away.

Final Thoughts

Dental implants are one of the most successful treatments for replacing missing teeth. But, if you don’t properly take care of your dental implant aftercare, there can be serious consequences like infection and bone loss.

Dental implant aftercare plays a major role in the success of dental implant treatment. It is important to determine the signs of implant failure so dentists can treat them right away.

If you notice any signs of implant failure, please contact our dental team at (08) 9516-1003 to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. Our dentists will then work closely with you to determine what is causing these symptoms and offer the treatment options necessary to get rid of them quickly so they do not become more severe or affect other parts of your mouth in the future.

Disclaimer – Use At Your Own Risk :- The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as advice for any individual case or situation. Any action you take upon the information on these blogs are strictly at your own risk. We will not be liable for any losses or damages in connection with the use of the information from these blogs.

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