Implant care: cleaning replacement teeth properly for lasting enjoyment

If you opt for implant-supported dentures, you will regain the full function of your own teeth. You’ll want to maintain this newfound quality of life for as long as possible, of course. The best way to ensure this is through conscientious care at home and regular medical implant check-ups at your dental practice.

In this blog article you’ll learn:

• why implant-supported dentures require daily care
• what professional implant cleaning is
• and which aids you can use to clean your replacement teeth at home

Your new teeth are immune to caries. But bacteria can colonise around your implant just as they do on your natural teeth. If these bacteria creep into your gums, they cause inflammation. Left untreated, this can lead to you losing the implant.

The first symptoms of inflammation around an implant are

• sudden or recurring bleeding of the gums
• unpleasant taste in the mouth
• bad breath that persists after brushing your teeth
• swollen reddened oral mucosa
• loosening dentures

If you experience any of these symptoms, come to our practice as soon as possible. They are usually caused by gum inflammation, something we can treat quickly.

Risk of peri-implantitis – protect your dentures:

Peri-implantitis is the equivalent of periodontitis. Peri means = around something, implant = to plant in and itis = inflammation. So it refers to inflammatory processes around artificial tooth roots.

Peri-implantitis is the most common reason people lose their implants. The best protection? Regular preventive care and professional tooth and implant cleaning. Find out more about preventive dental care at Dentalspecialist in Egerkingen: Preventive care

You’ve probably heard of our professional teeth cleaning? Our dental hygienists are experts in ensuring you have healthy teeth and implants. As soon as you have one or more implants, we will add a professional clean of your dental implant to our cleaning regime.

Professional tooth and implant cleaning:

• removes harmful plaque from teeth and dentures
• eliminates bacteria even below the gum line
• protects against new bacteria by polishing your teeth and dentures.

How often should you have your implants professionally cleaned? We usually recommend that our patients make an appointment every four to six months. In some cases a shorter interval may be appropriate. We will discuss this with you personally.

The cost of professional tooth and implant cleaning depends on the extent of the treatment. Do we need to treat inflamed gums? How stubborn is the plaque? These all influence the cost of your care.

We’ll discuss the precise costs with you before treatment. You can read about the tax values we use for billing here: Treatment costs

Daily oral hygiene in your bathroom at home is crucial for enjoying your replacement teeth for years to come.

Is dental implant care immediately after the procedure helpful?

In the first few days after implant placement you should only brush your natural teeth. You can dab the implant area with cotton wool dipped in mouthwash beforehand. Rinse your mouth with antiseptic mouthwash after cleaning your teeth.

Once the stitches have been removed, you can carefully clean the implant area with a soft toothbrush.

You can find useful information about the implant process here: Implantology

What kind of toothbrush should you use for implants?

When choosing a toothbrush, make sure it has soft bristles. Use a toothpaste with as few cleaning agents as possible (RDA <30). Sometimes an implant care gel may also be useful. As soon as you receive your implants from us, we’ll draw up a personalised care plan for you.

You should also use interdental brushes and dental floss for your daily oral hygiene. This will keep the spaces between your teeth clean.

How do I remove stubborn plaque from dentures?

If plaque is stubbornly sticking to your teeth or dentures, make a cleaning appointment with us. Using toothbrushes that are too hard or toothpaste that is highly abrasive can damage your dentures.