If you have gone through the experience of getting dental implants and you finally feel great about your smile, we are so happy for you! Dental implants are an exceptionally popular tooth restoration option with all the modern dental technology like laser dentistry making their success possible. Thanks to your dental implants, you can once again show off your full smile, eat all your favorite foods without any trouble biting and chewing, and perhaps best of all, people are commenting on the giant grin you always seem to have now!
Naturally, after investing in your dental implants through time, healing, and money, you want them to last as long as possible. For this to happen, however, means that you will want to commit to cleaning your teeth and gums every day, including your new dental implants! Taking the time to brush and floss your mouth every day will help make your dental implants last a lifetime and serve you well! In a way, it’s like renovating your home, you still want to clean it daily to protect your investment. Your smile is no different, whether you want to keep remaining teeth for a lifetime, or your dental implants! Quality daily care is the key to success!
The good news is, unlike your natural teeth, dental implants aren’t susceptible to tooth decay like your own teeth are. That’s because the artificial materials making up your dental implant isn’t actually harmed by the acid released by harmful oral bacteria the way that your tooth enamel is. And while it’s great that oral bacteria and acids can’t damage your dental implants, they still require some daily attention in other ways, if you want them to keep doing their job.
Peri-Implant Disease
Thank goodness tooth decay won’t ever touch your dental implant restoration, but your smile still isn’t out of the woods when it comes to your soft oral tissues. In fact, dental implants don’t prevent gum disease from arising in your mouth. And without the daily support provided by your gums, your dental implants can actually fail. As part of their own form of gum disease treatment known as peri-implant disease, this inflammatory condition does damage to your surrounding hard and soft gum tissue that can also eventually impact the stability of your dental implants.
In the early stages known as peri-implant mucositis, this inflammation is centralized around the soft tissues of your implant. The good news is, just like other early forms of gum disease, peri-implant mucositis can be successfully treated and even reversed! If it is not detected and treated early, so that it deteriorates into peri-implantitis, your supportive bone structure starts to weaken around your implant. Once this happens, you’ll generally need surgery to correct it. This happens as bacteria builds up around the dental implant base that is under the gum line. Eventually, if not removed, this bacterial film irritates and inflames the gums. Then, as the tissue is damaged, the bone structure under the implant can deteriorate.
Signs of peri-Implant Disease
If you have ever dealt with gum disease in the past, you’ll notice that peri-implant disease looks very familiar. Your oral tissues are red or tender around your dental implants and you notice bleeding when you brush around your teeth and implants. Your risk of developing peri-implant disease increases if you smoke, have diabetes or neglect to get rid of harmful plaque in the mouth. You can prevent this if you brush and floss your mouth the recommended times per day, and continue to see our dentist twice a year for cleanings and exams. Not only do we get rid of hardened dental plaque during your visit, Dr. Powell can also spot abnormalities while they are in their early stages and often are reversible. Your biannual cleanings are essential to your oral health whether you still have your natural teeth or dental implants. When having implants, getting a yearly comprehensive periodontal evaluation can help your dental implant last a lifetime.
Your daily oral hygiene routine, coupled with routine dental checkups is indispensable for a healthy, attractive smile. Our Exceptional Dental team is ready to answer all of your oral health questions and concerns. If you haven’t had a dental cleaning and exam yet this year, it’s a good time to schedule one! And if necessary, we can give you a dental cleaning designed to boost your gum health. We can give you good oral hygiene tips and tools and check to make sure gum disease isn’t silently progressing in your mouth. We welcome you to call Exceptional Dentistry in Palmdale, CA, today! You can also schedule an online reservation. Your beautiful smile will thank you!
