3 Tips For Maintaining Healthy Dental Implants After Surgery
Posted on: 23 August 2016
Following dental implant surgery, you play a significant role in determining whether or not the surgery was a success. Decisions you make about your dental health and overall health can impact your implants. To help ensure your implants are healthy, here are some tips.
Use Specialized Tools for Cleaning Your Implants
Although you can continue to use your regular toothbrush to keep your implants and remaining natural teeth in good shape, you could improve your odds of success by using specialized tools. For instance, instead of just using your usual toothbrush, you can also use an interdental brush. The brush is designed to get into sensitive and small areas.
You could also invest in an oral irrigator. The irrigator can be instrumental in removing plaque and other debris from your teeth. The less harmful bacteria there is in your mouth, the less likely it is your implants will fail.
Keep Your Stress in Check
Some people who suffer from high levels of stress tend to clench their teeth while sleeping or bite harder than intended when eating. Unfortunately, these actions can be damaging to the implants. Both actions can damage the connection that your dentist created between the implants and your jawbone. When this happens, it is likely the implant will fail.
Keeping your stress levels at a minimum is key to protecting your implants. There are many available methods for managing stress, including the use of exercise and meditation. Until you are able to get your stress levels lower, talk to your dentist about being fitted with a mouth guard you can wear at night.
Know When to Seek Help
The sooner a dental implant-related problem is detected, the more likely it is that the dentist can address it. Following the surgery, it is normal to experience some symptoms. For instance, you might have mild discomfort, stiffness, and slight bleeding. Numbness can sometimes occur.
However, if you have more serious symptoms, they need to be addressed immediately. Extreme pain, fever, or excessive bleeding are potential signs of infection. An infection can lead to the implant being rejected by your body. In addition to seeking emergency care from your doctor, contact your dentist. He or she will need to assess the well-being of the implants.
Consult with your dentist, one like Oral Surgery Associates Inc, to discover other ways you can protect your dental implants. With the proper care and attention, your gums and jawbone should heal so that you can return to your normal routine.
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