How to care for your Dental Implants: Tips for long-lasting results.

How to care for your Dental Implants: Tips for long-lasting results.

Dental implants are a widespread rehabilitation treatment that is gaining more and more followers every day. This is because it offers excellent success rates in addition to different benefits such as:

• Good stability and retention properties thanks to its integration with the bone.
   
• Excellent resistance properties, which gives it a long useful life when properly cared for, and this is what we want to talk about in this article.

If you have lost one or more teeth and are considering the placement of dental implants or if you already have them, it is important that you know how to care for them properly, so here we give you a series of tips and recommendations that will help you take care of your implants and thus prolong their useful life:

First of all, you should follow all your dentist's instructions to avoid the development of peri-implant diseases.

• After dental implant placement, it is recommended to avoid smoking for at least one week, as this slows down and compromises tissue healing. In addition, it is important to mention that smoking is one of the main causes of implant rejection, since this harmful habit can increase the risk of developing periodontal disease (gum disease). Therefore, ideally, the patient should reduce the use of cigarettes or, better yet, eliminate them.
   
• It is also necessary for the patient to maintain proper dental hygiene, which includes brushing at least twice a day or after every meal with a regular toothbrush or an electric toothbrush. It also includes regular flossing and even the use of irrigators for hard-to-reach areas.
   

It should be noted that the success of this treatment depends largely on the patient's hygiene and care habits, since implants require the same care as teeth to avoid the accumulation of food debris that can cause periodontal disease and compromise the integrity of the implant, which in turn may lead to the need to remove them.

In addition, keeping teeth and implants clean avoids the proliferation of bacteria that can generate an infection in the area and damage the health of the soft and hard tissues that support the implant.

• Avoid bad habits that can damage the integrity of the implant, such as uncovering containers with the mouth, since the force exerted on them can negatively affect them.
   
• Avoid chewing excessively hard foods in the area where the dental implant is located, to minimize the pressure exerted on them.
  
• If you suffer from sleep bruxism (teeth grinding or clenching), it may be a good option to wear a mouth guard to avoid overloading the implant.
   
• Be aware of any changes in your dental implants, whether it is loosening, movement, bleeding or increased sensitivity when eating or drinking. No matter how slight the change, you should see your dentist immediately and not let the condition progress.
   
• Last but not least, you need to visit your dentist regularly (at least once a year) to check that the implant is in place and functioning as it should. At the consultation, the dentist may perform an X-ray examination to assess the condition of the bone supporting the implant and may also perform a dental cleaning to remove any tartar deposits.
   

Even if a patient has had the implant in the mouth for years and has never had any problems, it is important to continue to visit the dentist annually, as there are diseases that do not give symptoms at first. Keep in mind that prevention and early attention are essential to prolong the life of the dental implant.

It is no secret that dental implants are a highly effective treatment that not only provides esthetic benefits but also allows the patient's masticatory function and oral health to be restored, considerably improving their quality of life, but in order to enjoy all these benefits for many years it is necessary to take proper care of them.

We hope you find these tips useful and that you now know how to take good care of your implants. Now, in case you still don't have your dental implants and you are considering that this treatment is right for you, if you have any questions or want to know more about our services we invite you to contact us. At Dr. Aburas Dental Center located in Jumeirah we have a team of excellent dental professionals who are here to help you.