How Often Should Dental Implants Be Checked?

Some dental patients mistakenly believe that if you have a mouth full of dental implants, you no longer need to go to the dentist for regular checkups. After all, if you only have false teeth, why would you need to see a dentist? Others who have only one or a few affordable tooth implants may believe that the replacement teeth do not require special attention or care.  Our dentists are here to tell you that both of these ideas are false. Whether you have a single dental implant or a mouth full of them, you must maintain the same level of oral hygiene as if you had a mouth full of natural teeth.

How Often Should You Have Your Dental Implants Checked?

The frequency with which your dental implants are examined will determine where you are in the installation process. For those who don\’t know, any implant procedure is divided into two stages: 

• Phase 1 – when the root of titanium is inserted into the jaw bone
• Phase 2 – when the implant is placed in the jaw bone (when the custom-made tooth that is artificial is drilled into the root). 

During the dental bonding phase of the procedure, you’ll need to see the dentist more frequently than afterwards.

Why It’s Important For Your Dental Implants To Be Checked?

The jaw bone starts to mould around the titanium during the bonding phase of the procedure. It could take 3 to 6 months, assuming you have sufficient bone volume. It’s important to visit the dentist regularly during this time to ensure that the teeth bonding is naturally occurring and doesn’t have restrictions. After the initial waiting period, you will have the dental implants installed.

Ways To Care For Your Dental Implants

You can increase the chances of successful healing if you take good care of your new implants. Diligently follow any instructions given by your implant dentist. These instructions will most likely include the following:

• Take any medications that your dentist recommends or prescribes.
• Brush and floss your teeth regularly once your dentist has permitted you.
• To prevent gum disease, floss around the abutments of your implants.
• Follow up with your dentist for follow-up appointments and regular checkups as directed.

Your implants can last the rest of your life if you take proper care of them. If you notice any symptoms that can indicate a problem with your gums or the implants themselves, you should contact your dentist right away.

Maintaining Proper Oral Hygiene is Important

Oral hygiene is essential at all stages of life. Regardless of how many you have, failure to properly care for your gums, implants, and remaining teeth can result in severe consequences such as bacteria growth, bad breath, and a dangerous condition called peri-implantitis leading to implant failure.

How You Can Determine If Dental Implants Are Right for You

Dental implants necessitate major oral surgery and a significant time commitment. This is why our dentists recognize the importance of providing potential patients with much information regarding dental implant placement and how to care for them during/after recovery, so they can decide whether they can proceed with the procedure or not.  Our goal at Glenferrie Dental is to provide the highest level of patient care possible, including pre-procedure education. Our Glenferrie dentists are happy to answer any questions you have about caring for dental implants during routine checkups. Please schedule an appointment with us today for an initial consultation.

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