Although implants act like normal teeth they still need special care and attention. In today’s blog, your Cerritos, CA, dental team talks about how to best care for your implants and keep the rest of your mouth in top shape, too!
Maintaining Regular Professional Cleanings
Most people can keep good oral health by visiting the dentist for cleanings and check-ups every six months. However, if you lost a tooth due to a systemic health issue or periodontal disease, getting three-to-four-month periodontal maintenance visits is recommended. At these preventive appointments, the doctor and hygienist will carefully monitor the teeth, gums, and bone to ensure your periodontal health is in check.
A thorough cleaning with a gentle ultrasonic scaler will ensure that bacteria aren’t harboring beneath the gums and around your new implants. The hygienist has special implant tools to ensure that tartar and plaque aren’t building in the vulnerable spaces around your gums. On these visits, you will also be given valuable advice on how to better care for your implants.
Night Guards Protect Your Teeth
Implants are strong and rigid in the bone. Due to their strength, they can damage the teeth they meet if you are someone who grinds their teeth at night. Excessive forces can also cause trauma to the implant, possibly causing failure. A night guard will act as a cushion and reduce the stress on the implant and damage to the surrounding teeth. Once your implant is placed, we will assess your situation and determine whether you are a good candidate for this custom appliance.
Preventing Another Tooth Loss
Did you lose a tooth to severe decay? Or was it bone loss due to severe periodontal disease? In any case, now it’s time to take preventive measures to ensure the same situation doesn’t occur to another tooth. If your tooth was lost to decay perhaps there is an underlying cause such as acid reflux. Understanding the root cause of your dental issues is so important for prevention. Depending on your situation, we can recommend products or providers to keep your health optimized. We are here to carefully monitor your oral health situation and look out for signs of early damage before a tooth is lost again.
Let Us Keep Your Oral Health Optimized
If you are interested in learning more about how to care for your implants and keep your oral health optimized call your Cerritos, CA dentist’s office at (562)584-4082.
