Guaranteeing the Long-Term Success of Your Dental Implants
March 22, 2016
A common misconception about those who have received dental implants in Chicago, IL is that their days of daily dental care are over. After all, what sort of upkeep will replacement teeth need? Unfortunately, this line of thinking is far from the truth. If you are mulling over the decision to receive dental implants, then it is vital that you understand the care and maintenance required to help support the long-term success of your treatment.
Detailing Implant Deterioration
Natural teeth remain attached to your jaw bone via a special band of tissue known as the periodontal ligament. Dental implants, on the other hand, are affixed by directly inserting a titanium screw into the bone itself, and then collagen tissue attaches to the abutment on which the actual crown is placed to help secure the implant. The absence of the periodontal ligament means that fewer nutrients are carried to the gum tissue surrounding the implant. This makes them more susceptible to infection due to continued plaque buildup. Eventually, infection can cause the underlying bone to deteriorate, leading to the loss of the implant.
What You Can Do
Avoiding the potential dangers of plaque buildup requires a similar daily dental hygiene routine to that which you followed with your regular teeth. You fight it through daily activities such as:
- Brushing
- Flossing
- Rinsing with mouthwash
- Using specialty cleaning aids as recommended by Dr. Singh
As your periodontist, Dr. Singh also has a role to play in your implant maintenance. Through routine cleanings, he will use highly-specialized instruments that are specifically designed to destroy plaque without causing any damage to the crown or abutment supporting your implants. Working together in this fashion, you can help guarantee the sustainability of your implants over the long term.
Tooth loss may have already robbed you of your smile; do not let the same thing happen again. By making a firm commitment to work every day towards the proper care of your dental implants, you may be able to enjoy their benefits for years or even decades. Dr. Singh and the rest of our staff here at Periodontal Implant Associates are ready to help support your maintenance efforts in any way that we can. To schedule a consultation to discuss your candidacy for implants, give us a call today.