Three Reasons Why You Still Need To See A Dental Hygienist When You Have Implants
Posted on: 21 January 2018
So, you replaced several missing teeth with implants? Good for you! It must be nice to finally smile with confidence. However, that does not mean you get to skip oral hygiene. You still have to see your dental hygienist every six months. Here are three very important reasons why.
Your Gums Need to Stay Healthy to Support the Implants
Dental implants are screwed into your jawbones and the gum tissue is pulled down to hide the abutment screws. Your gums are reshaped to make your implants look completely natural. If your gums do not stay healthy, they will recede from around the implants. It will become quite obvious that you have fake teeth embedded in your mouth. Your hygienist makes sure that your remaining natural teeth look as good as the implants, and that both the implants and the natural teeth have healthy gums to support them.
Your Hygienist Can Spot an Infection Around an Implant
It is uncommon, but you can develop an infection around an implant months after your implants were installed. Your hygienist can spot infections in the gums and alert your dentist to the fact that something is amiss. Your dentist can then confirm the development of an infection in and around an implant, and check to see if an abscess is developing. Your dentist will treat this problem with antibiotics, and drain the abscess if one is present.
You Can Still Develop Cavities on the Sides of Your Natural Teeth
Even though your dental implants will not develop cavities, the food and bacteria that gets caught in between an implant and a natural tooth can still cause cavities on the side of the natural tooth. That definitely presents a problem, since the typical procedure for spreading teeth to fill cavities on the sides of teeth will not work when you have an implant. The fake tooth will not budge, and the natural tooth can only move so much to allow the drill and filling process. Regular visits to your hygienist can help you prevent this particular issue, and even spot a cavity before it is too far along.
Do Not Forget Your Regular Oral Hygiene Routine
While you really do not have to brush dental implants, it is a good idea to do so anyway. As your hygienist will tell you, brushing your implants along with your natural teeth helps keep everything clean, free of bacteria and rotting food particles, and removes stuff trapped between the natural teeth and the dental implants. If you forget to brush, just make sure you floss. Flossing is still important, even though you have implants.
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