Things You Do For Your Natural Teeth That Also Protect Your Dental Implant From Failure

29 September 2017
 Categories: Dentist, Blog


A dental implant is a great option for restoring a lost tooth. However, the success of the implant is partially dependent on the actions of the patient.

The way that you care for your natural teeth can affect the success of your dental implant restoration. Here are a few things that you should do regularly for your gums and natural teeth to ensure that your dental implant remains in place for the remainder of your lifetime:

Keep Your Mouth Clean

In order to avoid tooth decay and gum disease, it is important to keep your mouth clean. As a result, brushing and flossing are important. The mechanical action of the teeth-cleaning tools pairs with the fluoride in toothpaste to help decrease the number of oral bacteria in the mouth.

Because of bacterial acids, oral bacteria are largely responsible for tooth decay. The microorganisms release the acid that demineralizes the teeth to cause dental caries. 

Bacterial acid, however, does not only cause tooth decay. It also incites gum disease. This is particularly important when it comes to dental implants. A gum infection can cause a dental implant to fail. 

Dental implant wounds do not heal properly when the soft tissues surrounding the implants are infected or inflamed. The infection can even invade the jawbone, where the dental implant is positioned. Thus, a clean mouth is particularly important for implant patients, especially during the procedure's recovery or healing period.

To keep the mouth clean, implant patients should do the following:

  • Brush twice daily.
  • Floss at least once daily.
  • Use an antibacterial mouth rinse.

Additionally, an implant patient can keep his or her mouth cleaner by chewing sugarless gum and rinsing with water periodically. Each of these measures helps to prevent tooth and gum problems, but these measures also protect the implant.

Use a Sports Guard While Playing Contact Sports.

If you play sports that involve a large amount of physical contact, such as basketball or football, you may already wear a mouthguard during practices and games. The same guard that protects your teeth as you play will also protect your dental implant.

If a dental implant shifts from its original position because of a blow to the mouth, the implant will fail. The healing process that causes the implant to connect to the jawbone will not restart. 

For more information about dental implants and how to protect them from failure, schedule an appointment with a dentist in your local area. You can also check out a website like http://www.charlottesvilledentistry.com/ for more information and assistance. 


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