How To Maintain Your Dental Implants – What You Need To Do

If you’ve recently had dental implants placed at Mestichelli Barnes Dental Associates, or you’ve gotten dental implants anywhere else in Philadelphia, you may be wondering what to do to keep your implants healthy. How can you care for them and maintain them? Read on and get a few top tips from our team.

1. Brush Twice A Day For Two Minutes

You should treat your dental implants just like natural teeth, and brush twice a day for two minutes using fluoride toothpaste. Regular brushing is essential for keeping your smile healthy. By removing food particles, sugar, plaque, and acid, brushing helps you avoid gum disease, which is a major cause of premature implant failure.

2. Floss Once A Day

Flossing is also a good idea if you have dental implants. You can floss normally, treating your implant just like a natural tooth. Use proper technique to scrape away plaque and food from all of your teeth.

Flossing can be very helpful for preventing gum disease, and it also helps improve your overall oral health and freshens your breath. So don’t neglect flossing, and make sure you floss at least once per day.

3. Use Antibacterial Mouthwash

Mouthwash is a great way to eliminate bacteria from your mouth and reduce your risk of gum disease and tooth decay, so it’s a great addition to your daily routine. Choose an antibacterial mouthwash that’s alcohol free and also contains fluoride, since fluoride will help strengthen your remaining natural teeth. 

4. Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle 

A healthy overall lifestyle will help you maintain your oral health and your dental implants. We recommend that you: 

• Cease tobacco use – You must stop smoking before you get dental implants, and while you’re healing. Once the implant has healed, you should not resume smoking or any kind of tobacco use. Tobacco use is a major cause of gum disease and premature implant failure.
  
  
• Minimize alcohol use – Excessive alcohol consumption is bad for your oral health, particularly if you drink sugary alcoholic beverages like cocktails. Try to reduce your alcohol use to keep your mouth healthy.
  
  
• Eat a healthy diet – Your diet should consist mostly of whole grains, lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthy dairy like yogurt. Avoid sugary drinks and foods, as well as highly-processed foods. This helps keep your mouth and your body healthy.
  

5. Visit A Dentist Every Six Months For A Checkup

Routine dental implant maintenance allows our South Philadelphia dentists to make sure your implants are healthy. During your routine six-month oral exam, our team will examine your natural teeth and your implants to make sure you’re free of any major oral health issues, and to give you peace of mind. 

Keep Your Implants Healthy With These 5 Maintenance Tips 

Make sure to maintain a healthy mouth with good oral hygiene, take steps to improve your lifestyle, and see Dr. Barnes or Dr. Mestichelli every six months for an oral exam. By doing so, you can prolong the lifespan of your implants, and keep your smile healthy for decades to come. Contact us online or give us a call at (215) 334-2000 to get started right away.