Implant Maintenance
Upon completion of your treatment with dental implants, it is essential that you look after them thorough and regular cleaning as well as regular trips to a hygienist to ensure your home care is correct. We would recommend normal tooth brushing and interdental cleaning at least twice per day. Interdental cleaning can be done with one or a combination of the following:
- Floss
- Tape
- Superfloss
- Interdental brushes
- Waterpicks / AirFloss
We will arrange for you to see our hygienist at the end of your treatment to show you the best way to look after your implants. Thereafter we would recommend 3 monthly hygienist visits and annual checks with one of our implant dentists (in addition to your normal dental check-ups with your regular dentist) to ensure the work we have done is healthy and that none of the adjacent teeth are in a condition that may jeopardize the implant(s).
Failure to maintain your implants may lead to a condition called “peri-implantitis”. This is an aggressive form of gum disease that can endanger the implant(s) and can be very difficult to treat. Prevention is definitely the best strategy.
Smokers, individuals with poor oral hygiene routines and those who have a history of gum disease are particularly susceptible to peri-implantitis. During the consultation, all patients are very carefully assessed for these risk factors before embarking on any Implant treatment plan. Furthermore treatment will not be undertaken unless a high level of oral hygiene can be achieved and maintained.
Call us on 0115 981 6986 or book a consultation to discuss implant maintenance.