Dental implants restore the gaps in your smile with permanent prosthetic teeth. They provide numerous benefits, as patients who’ve already gotten implants from Dr. Assi have discovered.
Dental implants look and function like your natural teeth. They’re securely attached and this means you can eat what you want.
By filling the gaps between your teeth, dental implants prevent your remaining natural teeth from shifting around. This promotes oral health and helps fight against gum disease.
Choose Gentle Hygiene Products
Another wonderful benefit of dental implants is that you care for them in the same manner that you take care of your natural teeth — you just continue to brush and floss every day. But there’s one important difference. You’ll want to choose gentle hygiene products for use with your dental implants.
Hygiene products that contain abrasive ingredients can scratch your dental implants and you also want to avoid irritating the soft tissue that supports them. With that in mind, Dr. Assi has come up with these recommendations for choosing the best products to keep your dental implants healthy and strong.
- Choosing the Right Toothbrush–There’s been a great deal of research conducted on the best type of toothbrush to use with dental implants. To protect your implants, it’s essential to find a toothbrush with soft or extra soft bristles. Research indicates that both manual and electric toothbrushes can be effective for cleaning dental implants when used correctly. That means brushing for at least two minutes twice a day and thoroughly going over all the surfaces of your teeth. Experts do recommend an electric toothbrush for patients who have difficulty applying adequate pressure on their own.
- Choosing the Right Toothpaste–Toothpaste that contains abrasive ingredients can scratch your dental implants, so you’ll want to carefully check the label. You don’t want to use any type of toothpaste that contains stannous fluoride, sodium fluoride, or baking soda. Toothpaste with whitening ingredients and smoker’s toothpaste should also be avoided.
- Choosing the Right Interdental Cleaner–Dental floss is the most commonly used type of interdental cleaner. It’s essential to floss daily or use an alternative type of interdental cleaner every day to remove plaque and debris from in between your teeth. To protect your dental implants, you’ll want to use floss that’s either nylon or nylon-coated. You can also find floss that’s specifically designed for use with dental implants. Interdental brushes are also effective. But metal brushes aren’t safe for use with implants, so make sure to find plastic or plastic-coated brushes.
- Choosing the Right Mouthwash–Rinsing daily with antibacterial mouthwash will protect your smile from the bacteria that cause bad breath and gum disease. But mouthwash containing either alcohol or whitening ingredients is not recommended for use with dental implants. Alcohol dries out your mouth and this inhibits your body’s natural ability to protect itself against infection. Any type of hygiene product that’s labeled as whitening contains abrasive ingredients that can damage your implants..
Learn More About Dental Implants with Dr. Tarek Assi
If you’re living with missing teeth in Coral Springs, Florida, we welcome you to Alpha Dental Practice. We’re here to help you regain your smile and confidence with beautiful and strong dental implants. If you want to learn more about dental implants and how they can help you, please contact our office for an obligation-free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if I encounter complications with my dental implant?
Dental implant complications are rare, but if you’re experiencing complications or severe discomfort call our office right away at (954)-228-8509. Don’t attempt to fix the problem yourself as this can result in permanent damage and set your treatment back. Dr. Assi will make sure you get the care you need as soon as possible.
How long does the dental implant procedure take?
The dental implant procedure itself takes only one to two hours. But the healing process will take several months to complete. During the recovery process, your titanium fixture will become part of your jawbone through a process called osseointegration.
To help the healing process, Dr. Assi will provide you with aftercare instructions. Following these instructions can help you recover more quickly from your dental implant procedure and prevent any complications in your healing.