You have taken a positive step and replaced your missing teeth with dental implants. So, what happens next? There are many things you can do to ensure that your smile stays healthy and beautiful. Caring for dental implants is similar to caring for your natural teeth. Below, Dr. Thomas A. Bissell provides a few important instructions to help you protect your investment and your oral health.
Maintaining Your Dental Implants
1. Before your procedure (and after!), healthy gums and bone are essential. Implants need an environment that can support them, one free of disease and with enough bone density to encourage proper integration. Your doctor may recommend gum disease treatment or bone augmentation procedures, if necessary.
2. On the very first day with your new implants, be sure to follow the list of post-procedure instructions given to you by your doctor. Everything on the list, from smoking cessation to avoiding exercise, is important and will impact the outcome of your dental implants in Chester, NJ.
3. As you begin to enjoy your dental implants, you will see that they are durable and secure. Remember though, that you now have crowns and you should refrain from chewing on pens, ice, and other hard items. If you suspect that you grind your teeth at night, ask your doctor to create a night guard for you. Treat your new dental implants well.
4. Be vigilant about home care. Sometimes, patients believe that having implants requires less care than natural teeth but in fact, they require the same brushing and flossing to remove food particles and bacteria, in order to maintain healthy gums.
5. Schedule regular appointments with your periodontist. This keeps your smile clean and bright, while affording your doctor the opportunity to monitor the state of your dental implants.
Following these simple steps can help your new dental implants in Chester, NJ, last a lifetime. If you are living with tooth loss, or are interested in learning about dental implants, call our office today to schedule your one-on-one consultation with Dr. Bissell.
