For the past three decades, dental implants have become the most popular choice for teeth replacement. Dental implants are stronger, longer-lasting and require less maintenance. If you know how to care of your dental implants properly, it can even last for a lifetime.
What can happen if you don’t take care of your dental implants
While dental implants do not have the potential of developing cavities like natural teeth, they still carry with potential risks for other dental problems like mucositis and peri-implantitis if consistent daily care is not done.
If you observe bleeding around the gum area of your dental implant, this can be an early sign of mucositis. It can be successfully treated and reversed if caught and treated early. Unfortunately if it progresses to bone loss, also known as peri-implantitis, this is irreversible. If peri-implantitis is not treated it can lead to advanced bone loss and the implant would need to be removed.
How to take care of your dental implants
Taking care of dental implants is similar to taking care of natural teeth. Regular brushing of teeth, flossing and using a great holistic toothpaste along with dental products recommended by your dentist is enough to keep your implants clean and free from possible infection.
Along with daily oral hygiene, you must also be committed to regular dental checkups every three to six months. Your dentist would usually check for any evidence of infection by carefully massaging the area around the implant crown with a finger and gently probing around the cuff of the implant crown with a periodontal probe. Dental x-rays are recommended annually. Your dentist would compare these x-rays every year, look for looseness, check your bite and see if every component attached to the implant are functioning properly.
Dr. Reese has been doing dental implant procedures for years. You can browse his work on dental implants in this gallery. He assures you of his continuing care long after he has done implantation. If you want to discuss missing tooth replacement options or have been told that you are not a candidate for implants, you can contact his office for a second opinion or call 317-882-0228 to schedule an appointment.