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.