Monthly Archives: October 2013

How Often Will I Have to Have My Dental Implants Checked?

After you have implant surgery, it’s important to continue to see your dentist regularly to ensure your gums and remaining teeth are healthy. Your dentist will also examine your dental implants to check for any problems. Maintaining good oral health will ensure the health of your gums, which help anchor your implants, and keep your remaining teeth from becoming endangered. [pullquote]Maintaining good oral health will ensure the health of your gums, which help anchor your implants, and keep your remaining teeth from becoming endangered.[/pullquote]

Why Are Dental Visits Important After Implants?

Regular visits to the dentist are important to your oral health even if you have dental implants. The success of implants depends upon keeping the rest of your mouth healthy. If you experience gum disease after implant surgery, you could risk losing your implants.

Keeping your mouth clean and your remaining teeth healthy is also important to your overall oral health. You’ll still brush and floss regularly to keep bacteria from building up in your mouth. This bacteria can cause decay in your remaining teeth, inflammation and infection in the gums, and halitosis. Regular brushing and flossing should be augmented by regular trips—about every six months—to your regular dentist.

Ensuring the Health of Your Implants

Your implant dentist will provide information and guidelines regarding keeping your teeth, mouth, and implants safe and healthy over the long term. Be sure to follow these guidelines to optimize the lifespan of your implants. If well taken care of, implants can last for decades.

Even though your teeth have been replaced, the tissues that support them still must be kept healthy and clean. Bacterial buildup in the mouth can lead to gingivitis, which is a relatively minor inflammation of the gum tissue. If this is not treated, it can develop into more severe gum disease. Gum disease leads to the gums pulling back from the tooth roots—and from the roots of your implants. Additional surgery might be required to keep your implants from failing.

If you have questions about how to care for your implants as well as the rest of your mouth, be sure to consult with your implant dentist. Post-operative care is vital to ensure your implants will provide a bright, healthy smile for many years to come.

Contact our experienced team of dentists at the doctor Family Dentistry for more information about dental implants.

Solutions for a Great Smile Today

With in-office tooth whitening, having a great smile can be a part of preparing for a special occasion. Your cosmetic dentist can remove mild to moderate staining in a matter of an hour so you can look your very best for a wedding, reunion, an important meeting, or any other important event.

Teeth Whitening in Only an Hour

In-office teeth whitening typically only takes about an hour. It’s performed right in the dentist’s chair, and you’ll see results immediately. So if you have a special event coming up, you can have your teeth whitened the same day and be confident that your smile will be ready to impress.

Your whitening appointment begins with your cosmetic dentist applying a protective gel over your gums, lips, and soft tissues. This is to protect them from the whitening agent, which can cause irritation if it comes into contact with your sensitive oral tissues. Then the dentist paints the whitening agent onto the front surfaces of your teeth. In some cases, the whitener is activated with a special light. It’s left on for about twenty minutes, then removed, after which the procedure is repeated two more times.

Keeping Your Teeth White After Whitening Treatment

Your teeth will appear noticeably whiter immediately after treatment, but you’ll see more extensive results after a few days. However, the immediate results are dramatic and can give you a big confidence boost for a special occasion.

After whitening, it’s important to brush and floss regularly to help prevent decay and to remove staining agents from your teeth. You should also avoid staining agents in general. Beverages like tea and coffee or substances like nicotine can cause your teeth to become discolored again, ruining the effects of your whitening procedure.

If you avoid staining agents and practice good oral hygiene, your whitening treatment is likely to last for several months. You’ll probably want to go in for touch-up treatments to maintain the look you desire, but these will not be as intensive as the initial whitening visit.

Contact our experienced cosmetic dental team at our office to learn more about achieving the smile you’ve always wanted.