5 Tips to Maintain Your New Dental Implants

Dental implants are the longest lasting tooth replacement option out there and they have so many benefits. Not only do they look and feel like real teeth, but they also preserve the integrity of the jawbone, preventing bone deterioration and premature aging. When cared for properly, they can last for upwards of 25 years! However, in order for them to have this long of a life, it’s necessary that you take steps to maintain them. Your dentist shares what you should do to prolong the life of your dental implants in La Port.

Allow Your Implants to Heal

After you have your dental implant surgery, it is crucial that you take it easy for a while in order for them to heal properly. Your dentist will give you specific instructions on how to clean it, what you should be eating, and how long it will take until you can start going through life as normal. To heal completely, each implant will take about two to four months.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene

Even though dental implants themselves are cavity resistant, that doesn’t mean that you can neglect your oral hygiene. Your dental implants rely on health gum tissue in order to be successful. Your natural teeth are still vulnerable to decay. Be sure that you are brushing twice and flossing at least once daily. Using a mouth rinse is also a great addition as it can help to wash away food debris and bacteria.

Watch What You Eat

Even after you has completed the healing process, you may still want to make some changes regarding your diet in order to protect your implants. During the initial healing process, you will want to stick to soft foods. Afterwards, you will still want to be away of particularly hard and sticky foods that could damage them. Chewing on ice, pencils, fingernails, and other hard objects should always be avoided.

Refrain from Smoking

Putting away the cigarettes is especially important while your implants are still healing. This is because smoking interferes with the healing process leaving patients who smoke with a higher dental implant failure rate than those who don’t. Smoking also damages the salivary glands which increases your risk of developing gum disease.

See Your Dentist

Schedule regular checkups with your dentist in La Porte after your dental implant placement procedure. This way, they can check to ensure that the healing process is going smoothly. They will also be able to catch early signs of gum disease so it can be treated quickly. This is also a great time to discuss any questions or concerns you have about your implants.

Your implants are a huge investment, so it’s important that you maintain them so that they last. By taking good care of them, they are likely to last for many years to come!

About the Practice

At Region Dental in La Port, IN, you have not one, but two skilled dentists who provide several tooth replacement options, including dental implants. Dr. Daniel Berquist and Dr. Joseph Ornelas both earned their Doctorates from Indiana University’s School of Dentistry. For more information on dental implant care or to schedule a consultation, visit their website or call (219) 362-8980.