By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How to Take Care of Your Dental Implants
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Dental health > How to Take Care of Your Dental Implants
Dental health

How to Take Care of Your Dental Implants

Jennifer Bragg
Last updated: November 17, 2021 6:49 pm
Jennifer Bragg
Share
6 Min Read
smiling ethnic lady visiting dentist in modern clinic
Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com
SHARE

More than 300,000 Canadians have dental implants, with roughly 50,000 new dental implants placed every year. It is a common procedure, especially among those who want to replace missing or broken teeth. However, dental implants require regular maintenance, and you need to take care of them diligently.

Contents
Clean RegularlyFloss with Dental ImplantsElectric Toothbrush with Dental ImplantsComplete Your Follow-Up AppointmentsHave Regular Cleanings DoneAvoid Heavy, Hard FoodsAvoid Abrasive SubstancesTargeting Plaque and Peri-Implantitis

When you don’t take care of dental implants, there are fairly serious consequences. Without consistent daily care, you may start to see mucositis, aka gum bleeding. This can also progress to bone loss, aka peri-implantitis. Bone loss cannot be reversed, and it is not going to grow back. Furthermore, if it gets to be particularly bad, some patients experience bone loss to such an advanced degree that the implant must be removed.

Don’t ignore breaks, cracks, and damage to your dental implants. If it feels overly uncomfortable or there are visual signs of damage, leaving them will only worsen the situation. The denture will continue to crack, or the fit will be so tough to manage that you could run into bleeding gums, inflammation, and pain. If there’s ever a problem, don’t wait to get it fixed.

If you just received your new dental implants, here’s what you need to know on how to take care of them.

More Read

dental technology-ideas
Top 10 New Technologies In Dentistry
What Is Tele Dentistry And How It Can Improve Access To Dental Care
Debunking The Myths About Orthodontics
7 Types of Restorative Dentistry and Why You Might Need Them
Medications and Your Dental Health

Clean Regularly

The actual dental implant will never develop decay or experience a cavity as real teeth will. However, the gum around a dental implant is very sensitive. They are vulnerable to infections and inflammation when dental implants aren’t being kept sanitized and clean. Most dentists recommend cleaning implants twice a day with a soft-bristle toothbrush. This should do the trick.

Twice a day, you should brush, floss, and do an oral rinse with alcohol. In terms of the brushing, make sure you tackle what’s around and under the implant crown. With flossing, be sure to use unwaxed tape or implant-specific floss. You want to be very careful operating around this area while also ensuring it’s properly cleaned.

Floss with Dental Implants

Flossing around abutments and elsewhere in the mouth is very important to keep your remaining teeth and gums healthy. Dental implants, ideally, will help inspire patients to take optimum care of their oral health. 

While prosthetic teeth or dental implants won’t ever develop cavities, this doesn’t mean you won’t encounter cavities in your real teeth. They might be at risk of infections if you do not clean adequately.

Electric Toothbrush with Dental Implants

Yes, you can use an electric toothbrush to clean dental implants so long as the area is healed. That said, consult with your dentist for further information and if they advise against using an electric toothbrush, stick with that. However, for most patients, it shouldn’t be a problem only assuming everything is healed and not inflamed.

Complete Your Follow-Up Appointments

Do not miss your scheduled follow-ups in the months ahead. These are to ensure the implants aren’t irritating your gums, that the fit is good, and that the overall experience is positive. It’s also a time to address any inadequacies that may exist and ensure there isn’t a negative impact by wearing them.

Have Regular Cleanings Done

Part of the ongoing care around dental implants is to have professional cleanings done, not dissimilar to patients’ cleanings without implants. Patients with dental implants generally need more cleanings than those without. This ensures that nothing is getting caught where it shouldn’t be. The appointments ensure the dentures are kept in tip-top shape.

Avoid Heavy, Hard Foods

Food isn’t going to cause too much of an issue if you listen to what your dentist recommends. You have to be far more careful in the immediate healing post-surgery than you will weeks and months out. There’s a lot you can eat with dental implants. However, you still want to avoid the pressure of heavy or hard foods. 

Anything that’s overly difficult to separate or chew with your teeth should understandably be avoided. This will hopefully prevent damage to your dentures and avoid having to come in for an emergency repair.

Avoid Abrasive Substances

Any abrasive substance should come nowhere near your dentures. That includes hard-bristle toothbrushes, baking soda, and bleach cleaners. These could weaken your implants, paving the way to permanent damage. 

If you are questioning whether a substance or item is abrasive, contact your dentist for their input. They can tell you with certainty whether something is permissible with dentures or not. These sorts of abrasive substances are instinctively avoided in a lot of cases.

Targeting Plaque and Peri-Implantitis

Peri-implantitis is a pathological condition that occurs in the tissue around dental implants. It’s defined as ongoing inflammation resulting in the progressive loss of supporting tone. To keep this at bay, clean the area thoroughly. 

Plaque accumulation between the teeth on either side of the implant should be removed with an interdental brush or aid. The area should be monitored over time to ensure this isn’t happening to you. Through regular check-ups, a dentist will be able to notify you if there’s inflammation occurring.

TAGGED:dental caredental healthdental implants
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

dental x-rays
Dental healthSpecialties

Are Traditional or Digital X-rays Best for Dental Exams?

July 17, 2022
All-On-4 Dental Implant Surgery: A Guide to the Recovery Process
Health

All-On-4 Dental Implant Surgery: A Guide to the Recovery Process

February 13, 2023
veneers
Dental healthSpecialties

Smile Renewal: The Role of Veneers in Cosmetic Dentistry

December 28, 2023
orthodontist
Dental healthSpecialties

Understanding the Difference Between Orthodontists and Regular Dentists

April 24, 2022
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?