How to care for dental implants?
Recently, the placement of dental implants has become an increasingly popular method of restoring natural teeth lost by the patient. The biggest advantage of placing a dental implant in place of a missing tooth is the ideal reproduction of the smile’s aesthetics from before the tooth loss, and the perfect restoration of the chewing function. In this article we will remind you why the use of dental implants in the reconstruction of teeth is such a good solution and we will write what the daily hygiene of the implanted teeth should consist in.
Why choose dental implants?
As we mentioned in the introduction, the use of dental implants in the reconstruction of lost teeth makes it possible to restore full functionality of the masticatory system and to perfectly restore the aesthetics of a smile. As our interviewee, an implantologist from the Viscardi Dental Clinic in Tychy, explains: „A dental implant is a metal screw made of titanium or zirconium, which is implanted in place of a missing tooth. The material from which the implant is made is characterized by very high resistance to mechanical stress occurring in the oral cavity during chewing of food. So an implant ideally replaces the root of a natural tooth”.
All other methods of restoring teeth focus only on restoring the aesthetics of the smile, i.e. restoring the crown of the tooth. In implantology, the goal is to completely restore a lost tooth and all the associated benefits.
Maintaining oral hygiene a very important element in implantology
A titanium dental implant placed in place of a natural tooth and a porcelain dental crown built on top of it and designed to restore the aesthetics of your smile are, of course, fully resistant to bacteria and acids present in the mouth. Such a tooth will not develop caries and there will be no demineralization of enamel. This does not mean, however, that the implants do not have to be cleaned, and we no longer have to follow the rules of everyday oral hygiene. Teeth, even with implants, must still be washed at least twice a day, i.e. The implant should be brushed in the morning and evening, and even better, after each meal consumed. We should take special care after implantation. Later, after the wound resulting from the operation has healed, we should not forget about hygiene either.
Oral Hygiene Immediately After Implantation
Immediately after the placement of a dental implant it will be our job to make sure that the area around the wound resulting from the procedure is as sterile as possible. For the first few hours the implant site will be particularly exposed to the bacteria present in the mouth. So what should you watch out for after a dental implant procedure? Precise instructions will certainly be given by the doctor involved in performing the procedure. We will certainly not be able to eat or drink anything until two hours after the procedure. After this time we will be able to drink, but only plain cool water. We will not be able to eat our first meal until at least 4 hours after the procedure. Ideally, however, the food eaten at that time should not be too hot and should not have a solid consistency. It is definitely best to eat meals in liquid or semi-liquid form. Additionally, for about 24 hours we should avoid eating dairy and flour products. We should also not brush the area where the implant was performed. For three days we will also not be able to smoke.
We will need to avoid irritation of the implant site for about a week after the procedure. During this time, you need to be careful not to touch the area with a toothbrush and not to allow any leftover food to get in there. After this time we will be able to return to normal tooth brushing and proper nutrition.
Oral hygiene on a daily basis
Once all the wounds from the dental implant have healed, you will be able to return to your normal teeth cleaning routine. The rules for cleaning implants are basically the same as for cleaning natural teeth. However, it is important to make sure that the implant is always perfectly clean, so that no bacteria can grow around it, which could lead to inflammation of the gums and consequently to inflammation in the area where the implant is placed. So it is essential that we brush and floss well every day and use mouthwash.
