Looking After Your Dental Implants
Now that you’ve had your dental implants inserted, it’s crucial that you give them the care they need to keep them in top condition. With the right aftercare, your tooth implants could last you the rest of your life. Here are our tips for looking after your new implants.
1) Give them recovery time
After you’ve had your tooth implants fitted, you’ll be able to brush as normal from the evening of your surgery – but take care around the tender areas, which may need a few days to recover.
You may find that gargling warm saltwater will help ease any pain and aid healing. Use warm water, add a teaspoon of salt and mix to dissolve. Then, ‘hold’ the saltwater in your mouth for as long as is needed. It can help to rinse your mouth after eating, too.
Finally, for any swelling, ice packs, held to your cheek, can help.
2) Keep a good dental routine
It’s important to look after your tooth implants in the same way you would your natural teeth. Brushing twice daily, flossing or using interdental brushes, and swilling fluoride-containing mouthwash can all help keep your mouth clean and healthy.
3) Ensure you visit your dentist regularly
Having check-ups is a key way in maintaining the health and hygiene of your mouth, and can help identify any problems you may have – whether with your new dental implants, or anything else. Your dentist will make a recommendation as to how often you’ll need to be seen, depending on the health of your mouth, teeth and gums. This might be every few months or on a yearly basis.
Click here for a blog on why it’s important to visit the dentist.
4) Report any changes
In rare cases, you might experience a loose tooth implant. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as gum disease or bone loss. Or it could be that the crown (top-part) has come loose and may need tightening or replacing. Signs of a loose dental implant include pain at the site, bleeding and discolouration. If this happens, please book in with us as soon as possible so we can treat the problem. Something else to look out for with your implants is the rod part of the implant showing at the gumline, which will also need to be investigated.
Whether you have a problem with your tooth implants or you need to see us for a check-up, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Harwood Dental today at our friendly Bolton clinic.
You can also read more about the frequently asked questions about dental implants in one of our other blogs.
