Dental implants have an impressive success rate of 95 percent, which makes them an extremely reliable option for replacing your missing teeth. But while it’s rare for dental implants to fail, it’s still a very real possibility. Do you want your newly rebuilt smile to last as long as possible? If so, you should make a point of following these 3 tips for minimizing your risk for dental implant failure.
1. Maintain Excellent Oral Hygiene Habits
If you don’t keep the area around your dental implants clean, it could lead to the buildup of harmful bacteria. Over time, this can result in an infection that significantly damages your gum tissue and the underlying bone, which can cause your implant posts to lose their support and ultimately fail.
Fortunately, simply practicing good oral hygiene habits can go a long way toward protecting your smile from infection. This means brushing twice a day and flossing daily while paying extra close attention to the area around your dental implants. It may be a good idea to invest in an electric toothbrush that is more efficient at removing plaque.
2. Be Careful Around Hard Foods
While dental implants don’t come with any real diet restrictions, it’s still a good idea to exercise caution around foods that can potentially damage them. In particular, hard foods such as carrots or apples can put a lot of pressure on your implant posts and potentially cause them to fracture.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to avoid hard foods altogether. In many cases, they can still be okay to eat as long as they’re cut into bite-sized pieces first; this significantly reduces the amount of stress they put on your dental implants.
3. Avoid Bad Oral Habits
Certain bad habits can increase the chances of dental implant failure occurring. For instance, chewing on your fingernails or the end of your pen can end up damaging your implant posts as well as the prosthesis they support. Smoking can also put dental implants at risk, as it can leave your mouth more susceptible to infection.
It’s important to take note of any habits that could cause problems for your dental implants. The sooner you break these habits, the easier it will be to keep your dental implants safe.
In short, taking good care of your dental implants can help them remain successful in the long run. Of course, there’s always a chance that problems could arise even if you do everything right; as such, you should be ready to reach out to your periodontist if you ever have reason to think that one of your dental implants might be failing.
About the Author
Dr. David Handsman went to the University of Tennessee for his Masters of Dental Surgery in periodontology. He currently holds memberships with various professional organizations, including the American Academy of Periodontology and the Massachusetts Periodontal Society. Not only is he an expert in placing dental implants, but he also offers salvage options for patients with failed implant posts. If you have concerns about your dental implants, you can schedule an appointment with Dr. Handsman at Handsman & Haddad Periodontics in Worcester by visiting his website or calling (508) 753-5444.
