Building Confidence With Dental Beauty

If you have lost a tooth, your doctor may have suggested that you get a dental implant. You will probably want to know how you are supposed to care for a dental implant during the implant process and afterwards so that you can keep the implant and the rest of your mouth as healthy as possible. 

During the Implant Process

Getting a dental implant is going to take some time. That's because you are going to have to wait for a lot of healing to happen in between each of the steps. If you have to have a tooth pulled or need to have a bone graft before the implant can happen, you are going to have to wait several weeks for the inflammation to go down and the bone to heal. You can't put an implant into unhealed bone as it could cause the implant to fail. There are some things that you can do to help keep your mouth healthy and help the bone heal better. 

Stop Smoking

Smoking can cause all kinds of problems in your mouth. They can include gingivitis, which could cause the implant site to become infected. Smoking also slows healing, so it can take a longer time to get your implant put in. 

Prescription Mouthwash

Your dentist may give you a prescription for medicated mouthwash. You would use that after you brush your teeth. It can help to kill any bacteria that could cause infections. 

After the Implant Process

Once your implant has been placed and healed, there are things that you need to do in order to make sure that the area around the implant stays healthy and strong. 

Brushing

Brushing the implant is basically the same as brushing your regular teeth. However, you will need to make sure that the toothpaste and toothbrush that you use are low abrasive and soft. That's because an abrasive could cause damage to the appliance that is anchored on the implant. 

Flossing

It's very important that you continue to floss around the implant and the appliance it anchors. If an infection gets into the area it could cause the whole implant to fail and could also cause you to lose other teeth. There is floss that is specially designed to use for dental implants. That floss is less likely to shred while it is being used if it encounters the implant post. 

Getting a dental implant can give you back the tooth that you are missing. Just make sure that you are taking care of your implant correctly. For more information, contact clinics like Riverdale Dental Arts.