How To Keep Your Dental Implant Clean While It Heals

Getting dental implants is a multi-step process. Your dentist will see you several times to prepare you for dental implants, to remove a tooth if necessary, to install the implant, and then to mount the tooth on top of that implant. Immediately after you get the implants, you'll be able to go home and rest while your gums gradually heal around it. Here's what you need to do to ensure that you do a good job cleaning the area and stay healthy.

Importance of Cleanliness

If you haven't already guessed, it's extremely important that you keep the area of your dental implant clean after you receive it. Not doing a good job cleaning it can result in a gum infection that would not only interrupt your healing process but could mean putting off getting an implant until the gum infection can be controlled. However, since you have a fresh incision, you'll need to take precautions so that you don't hurt yourself while you're trying to stay tidy.

Brushing Alternative

You can use a standard toothbrush after you come home with a dental implant, but using a smaller brush might actually be better. Interdental brushes are just as effective at removing debris and plaque as standard toothbrushes, and they can easily navigate the space around a dental implant.

To use one of these effectively, brush all of your teeth with a standard toothbrush while avoiding the area of the dental implant. Once that's completed, take your interdental brush and very gently brush the metal part of the implant itself sticking up from your gums. Make sure to go all the way around. Most interdental brushes bend, so this shouldn't be too hard.

Then, very lightly brush your gums themselves. Use only the tiniest amount of pressure to avoid pain and potentially hurting yourself. Rinse as usual unless directed otherwise by your dentist.

Water Flosser

Once your gums have sealed up the incision, you can use a water flosser to blast away plaque and bacteria from your dental implant. Water flossers are extremely good at preventing gum disease and keeping the space between teeth healthy and clean, and dental implants are no exception. You can start using one now to keep the implant itself clean of plaque so that you're less likely to experience gum problems.

Remember that after the tooth has been mounted on your implant, you can keep using a water flosser to ensure that your teeth and gums are healthy. This will make your dental implant last much longer, too.

Dental implants are one of the best tooth replacement methods out there, and all you need to do is take a little extra care with your implant and gums while they heal. Talk to a dentist if you have questions about the process or want more tips on keeping your implant clean.