The Importance Of Preventive Dental Care At Any Age

Posted on: 16 March 2016

If you have a dental implant placed in your mouth, then you surely want the device to last long-term. This means taking great care of the device, especially during the first few months of the healing period. During this time, you will need to make sure that you keep the dental implant clean or a condition called peri-implantitis will occur. This type of dental implant infection affects about 28% of all implant recipients and cit an cause you to lose your implant permanently. To reduce this concern, follow the cleaning tips below.

Control Gingivitis

The bacteria that live in the mouth can cause an infection around your dental implant. These bacteria may exist around multiple areas of the mouth, including the tongue and tonsils or they may be noted in the mucous in the mouth or the saliva. However, the vast majority of the bacteria that cause infections will be seen on the teeth as well as on the gums and inside the gum pockets. This bacteria is the type that causes plaque to form in the mouth and it will cause gingivitis to form too. While regular brushing techniques can reduce the amount of bacteria that thrive on the teeth, you will need to use more aggressive tactics to clear the microorganisms around the soft tissues, especially if you have deep pockets around the gums. 

To clear these pockets, purchase a water flosser tool with a gum pocket cleaner tip. This tip is one that is smaller in diameter that a regular tip and features a flexible rubber top. This small opening on the tip also releases low pressure water so that the gum tissues are not damaged during the cleaning process. To use the tip, slip it onto your water flosser and angle the spray end above your gums so water forces down underneath them. Hold the tip about one-eighth or one-sixteenth of an inch from the gum edge and move the tip around each of your teeth. Stop for several seconds when you reach the sides of the teeth so water can clean out of the gum pockets.

If you notice that your gums are pink or red around the edges, then place a small amount of salt in your water flosser reservoir. The salt will help to kill the bacteria in the mouth that can cause gingivitis and peri-implantitis to occur. About one or two teaspoons of sea salt is enough. If the salt causes a burning sensation, then also add two tablespoons of baking soda to the water as well to soothe the tissues in your mouth.

Ask For A Mouthwash

Directly after your oral surgery is completed to secure your dental implant, your dental professional will ask you to use a prescription oral rinse. Using the rinse in the morning and evening will be necessary to keep bacterial infections at bay. However, the mouth rinse will only be prescribed for a short period of time, because it can cause brown stains to form on the teeth. Typically, you will be asked to use it for only the first few weeks after the dental implant is secured.

While you cannot use a prescription mouthwash all the time, you should meet with your dentist and ask for a new prescription of the chlorhexidine rinse if you start to see a gum infection starting. This will be one of the best ways to reduce infection risks. If you do use the rinse after the initial dental implant healing period, then do your best to reduce tooth staining risks by staying away from foods that will contribute to tooth discoloration. Coffee, wine, tea, tomato sauce, curry, and berries are a few foods that will cause tooth staining. Acidic foods can also contribute to this by softening the tooth enamel and allowing coloring agents to solidify on the teeth. Vinegar, citrus fruits and soda are a few examples or acidic items. 

For more information, contact a company like Tijeras Dental Service.