Keeping your dentures and dental implants clean is essential to protect your oral health. Here are some simple and easy tips on how to clean dentures and avoid bacteria build up.
Keeping your dentures or denture implants clean is very important for your dental and overall health, as well as keeping your replacement teeth looking their very best and functioning optimally. Following a strict care routine every night will:
- prevent your dentures from staining
- lower your need for denture replacements/relines/rebase
- prevent bacteria buildup
- lower your risk of developing further tooth decay or gum disease
Customized Dental Implants in Calgary
At Future Smiles, we offer customized tooth replacement solutions from dental implants and flexible partials to traditional full/partial dentures to suit all your lifestyle and budget. Whatever your needs, we help quickly restore the aesthetics and function to your smile so you can live a healthier, happier life!
How To Clean Your Dental Implants and Avoid Bacteria Buildup
The purpose of investing in dental implants is to enable patients who have lost all or some of their teeth to speak, smile, and eat naturally. However, these things are only possible if your dental implants are comfortable and well-maintained.
Follow these simple tips on how to maintain good daily hygiene and eliminate any bacteria buildup on your dental implants:
1. Brush
It’s important to brush your dental implants twice a day, just like your natural teeth. You can use a typical toothbrush on your implants but the main consideration is how the brush feels on your implants and how easy it is to use.
NOTE: Whatever type of toothbrush you opt for (sonic, electric, or manual) it must be soft-bristled. Hard bristled brushes can have negative side-effects and may even:
- damage your gums.
- take away the enamel from your other teeth.
- damage your implants.
When selecting the right toothbrush for your implants, make sure it allows you to easily manoeuvre around your mouth and remove any food particles and plaque buildup.
2. Floss
Toothbrushes can’t do everything and it’s important to enhance its effect by flossing at least once a day. However, there are plenty of types of floss out there and it can be overwhelming to choose the right one.
Generally, dentists recommend using unwaxed tape or floss specifically for dental implants to ensure that the surrounding tissue is best protected.
3. Use an Oral Irrigator
Oral irrigators work by using pressured water or mouthwash to dislodge plaque from gaps between the teeth, around the gum margin, and in periodontal pockets. They have many benefits and can help with:
- reducing gum inflammation
- removing plaque from your teeth and lowering your chances of tooth decay
- keeping your breath fresh
- diluting any harmful toxins that may be on your teeth
If you have one or more dental implants, try to find an irrigator with a nonmetal tip and use it 1-2 a day, supplementing it with a mouthwash if you desire.
4. Go For Professional Dental Implant Cleanings
It’s extremely important to get your dental implants cleaned by a professional periodically as they can thoroughly clean the threads of the implant, the surrounding tissue, and your natural teeth.
This has many benefits as it will:
- remove any bacteria that can lead to infection.
- allow your denturist to inspect the overall condition and alignment of your denture implant.
- keep your implants and natural teeth a bright, pearly white.
- eliminate bad breath.
- ensure your implants last for many years.
Importance of Dental Implant Care and Maintenance
It’s very important you understand how to maintain and clean your dental implants properly, otherwise, you could experience one or more of the complications associated with improper implant care.
In some cases, failing to take care of your dental implants can lead to mucositis, which if left untreated, can lead to infection, bone loss, and may even require removal of the implant.
Call Today
To schedule a dental implant cleaning or to find out more about our tooth replacement services including denture solutions, denture relines/rebase/replacements, and house calls, contact our Calgary denture clinic at (403) 475-0016 or fill in our online contact form.
