What Is A Dental Implant? How Do I Clean My Dental Implant?
If you are self-conscious about the removable dentures that don’t fit and don’t allow you to eat or speak normally, then you should talk to your Upland dentist to see whether dental implants are an option for you. When it comes to a naturally attractive and durable option for replacing missing teeth, dental implants are the best and the most popular choice. Around 3 million Americans have implants - a number that is growing by 500,000 each year.
What is a Dental Implant?
According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, an implant is a screw-shaped fixture inserted into the jawbone and serves as an artificial root. Dental implants are made from titanium alloys, which are safe for use inside the body and possess a unique capability that allows them to form intimate contact with the surrounding bone. This process, called osseointegration, enables an implant to get firmly anchored within the bone and provides a solid foundation for the attachment of artificial teeth such as crowns, bridges, or partial dentures.
Am I a Candidate for Getting Implants?
According to the American Academy of Periodontology, any individual who has good oral and physical health is a candidate for getting their teeth replaced with implants. Whether you need a replacement for a single, multiple, or all teeth missing in your jaw, dental implants serve as a reliable and long-lasting option for people who have lost their teeth due to periodontal disease or an injury. The best thing about dental implants is that you don’t need a single tooth to replace each missing tooth. In some cases, your dentist may use only four implants to replace all missing teeth in a jaw with a fixed completed bridge.
How Do I Clean My Dental Implant?
Dental implants look, feel, and function just like natural teeth. According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, you should look after your implant-supported teeth just like you care for your own natural teeth.
Here’s how you should look after your natural and implant-supported teeth:
Oral Hygiene Maintenance
Regular brushing and flossing go a long way in keeping the implant site healthy and preventing implant failure. While the implants do not get infected themselves, the gum tissue around them can get inflamed if oral hygiene is not optimally maintained.
The plaque and tartar deposits that form around the implant due to insufficient cleaning promote bacterial growth, leading to the inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the implant. This serious condition, called peri-implantitis, may destroy the bone around the implant, leading to implant loosening and failure if this condition is not managed timely. Therefore, you should make sure that you brush your teeth twice daily and floss at least once each day to prevent any chances of gum infection.
Dentists recommend using a toothbrush with soft bristles to clean around your implants. You may also use an electric toothbrush for better results. Electric toothbrushes are also recommended for individuals who are unable to clean their teeth with manual toothbrushes effectively.
Mouthwash
Your Upland dentist may also recommend a mouth rinse that is effective against gum disease-causing bacteria and prevents plaque and tartar adherence on the teeth.
Water Flosser
A water flosser is a handheld device that releases a water stream in a pulsating action. The water flosser works like a traditional floss - only more efficiently - and removes food debris from between the teeth. Using a water flosser will offer added protection against the development of gum inflammation around the implant-supported teeth.
Regular Dental Checkups
When you visit your dentist regularly for checkups, he or she will be able to detect and manage problems with your implants in their early stages - before they cause permanent damage. During a checkup visit, your dentist will also perform professional teeth cleaning to remove plaque and tartar deposits so that your gums remain and the underlying jawbone remains healthy - and firmly anchors the embedded implant.
Visit Young Dental Health Center to See if Dental Implants Are Right For You
With proper care, you can expect your implants to last for as long as healthy natural teeth - says the American Society of Implant and Reconstructive Dentistry. If you are looking to get your missing teeth replaced with dental implants in Upland, then the Young Dental Health Center should be your first choice. Our highly skilled and experienced dentists, Dr. Clifford Young and Dr. Peter Young will give not only restore your ability to speak and eat normally with implants but will also give you a naturally beautiful and attractive smile that you can be proud of!
So, what are you waiting for? Visit us today and walk away with a brand new smile and a fully-functional set of implant-supported teeth.