Dental implants are a great solution to lost teeth. They are just like getting a fresh start with new teeth after you lost your natural teeth. But if you want to make the most of your second chance at teeth and get a good value on your investment, you need to take good care of them, and that might mean making some changes.
Skipping Flossing
Although dental implants can’t develop cavities, it’s still important to brush them. But it’s even more important to floss around your dental implants. The main reason why dental implants fail is that they develop gum disease, and flossing is vital to removing plaque and debris that can contribute to gum disease.
Smoking
Smoking can also increase your gum disease risk. It also interferes with the regrowth of bone. Overall, it can increase your risk of dental implant failure by two or three times. If you quit smoking, you’re more likely to have your dental implants for life.
Biting Non-Foods
Dental implants are made of some of the most advanced materials available, and they’re well-suited for biting and chewing food. But they’re not designed to chew on things other than food, such as fingernails, ice cubes, and pens. This can not only chip the crowns, but it can put too much force on the implant, damaging the bone that secures it.
Using Your Teeth as Tools
A related problem is using your teeth as pliers, bottle openers, nutcrackers, or scissors. Using your teeth this way can damage the bone around the implant, especially if you are subjecting your teeth to pulling or twisting force. Because dental implants don’t have a periodontal ligament to cushion them, they’re more vulnerable to pulling or twisting forces.
Skipping Dental Appointments
You know you should make it to the dentist at least twice a year, and we might recommend more frequent visits to check up on your implants. These visits are crucial to helping maintain your dental implants. They let us identify potential problems as they begin to develop, before they threaten your implants.
Take Care of Your Implants and They Will Serve You Well
Put these all together and it’s really not that much that you have to do to help ensure that your dental implants will last a lifetime, especially when you consider how dental implants help you maintain your lifestyle. There are always risks, but if you ditch these bad habits, you’ll see that your risk of losing your implants will be much reduced.
To learn more about the care and maintenance of dental implants in the Hilton Head area, please call (843) 706-2999 for an appointment with an implant dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
