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Having dental implants installed isn’t really on anyone’s bucket list. That said, if you have to spend the money to have an implant done, you’re going to want to do all you can to ensure your dental work lasts as long as possible.
Moderate Your Diet after Surgery
Immediately after your surgery you will experience at least a few days of tenderness, swelling, and discomfort. This is because your implant needs time to properly anchor itself into your jaw and your entire mouth needs time to heal from the trauma. Cooler foods and liquids will help with the swelling and tenderness while warmer, softer foods at mealtimes will gives you the sustenance you need.
Frequent Checkups
While most people see a dentist every 6 months for cleanings, you’ll likely need to see your dental healthcare provider every 3 months for the first year to make sure your jaw and gums have healed properly. After a few extra visits, you can go back to your normal professional care routine.
Regular Hygiene Procedures
After your implant, you’ll need to resume normal a normal dental hygiene routine, including brushing and flossing daily. It’s more important than ever to reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth as a bacterial infection or plaque buildup could cause your implant to fail.
If you haven’t done so already, those of you who smoke should seriously try to stop. Smoke is a huge cause of complications in implant patience and is a major contributing factor to the loss of an implant later on.
If you aren’t using one already, make sure you are using antibacterial toothpaste. These toothpastes are specially designed to continue killing bacteria in the mouth throughout the day. There is research that supports the increased success of dental implants with the use of antibacterial toothpaste. Most are not antibacterial, so you’ll need to read the ingredients to find out which are appropriate.
The spaces between our teeth aren’t always easy to reach with a regular toothbrush. You’ll need to get a special interdental brush to use between the teeth, especially on either side of the implant. This will make it easier to keep those areas free of plaque and bacteria, ensuring a longer life for your implant.
Dental implants aren’t inexpensive. Do all that you can to make them last as long as possible. The time is worth it to care for such a precious investment.
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