Healthy Habits for Dental Implant Care: Say No to Harmful Practices
Traditional tooth replacement solutions, such as dentures and dental bridges restore your smile fast but must be renewed after a few years. On the other hand, dental implants can permanently reconstruct your smile from the ground up! However, this is only true if you properly care for them. Despite dental implants having a success rate of over 95%, if you’re not careful, you could cause them to shatter or fail. Here are eight terrible habits for your dental implants you must stop if you want to retain your dental implants for the rest of your life!
1. Ignoring Your Oral Care Regime
You may clean your teeth every morning and night at home, but do you floss as well? If not, now is the right time to begin. The most common cause of implant failure is gum disease. Flossing is required to remove particles that burrow between your teeth because brushing only removes plaque and harmful bacteria from the teeth' surface. If left untreated, it can expand beneath the gum line and begin damaging tissue and bone, posing a significant threat to your implants.
2. Tobacco Smoking or Chewing
Tobacco use inhibits your natural healing process, exposes your mouth to infection, and raises your chance of oral cancer. According to recent research, smokers are two to three times more likely than non-smokers to lose their dental implants, so now is the time to kick the habit!
3. Sugary Foods and Dental Implants
Excessive indulgence in desserts allows you to eat all of your favorite foods again, but be careful not to overindulge in sugar. Sugary snacks feed the oral bacteria in your mouth, which can eventually develop into gum disease, a significant oral health condition that can cause your dental implant to fail.
4. Grinding on Hard Objects
Your dental implants are well-suited for biting and eating various meals due to their placement in your jaw and dependable materials. However, they are not intended for chewing on hard objects such as pen caps, popcorn kernels, or your fingernails. This has the potential to chip the restoration, harm the jawbone that supports your implant, and loosen your new tooth.
5. Making Use of Your Teeth As Tools
In addition to not chewing on hard items, you should avoid using your teeth to open packages, containers, and bottles. The force exerted on your teeth when biting these products degrades the strength of your dental implant and can cause jawbone damage. Always keep the necessary instruments around, so you aren't tempted to jeopardize your smile.
6. Postponing Dental Checkups
Even if you have dental implants to replace your natural teeth, you should visit your dentist two times a year for routine examinations and cleanings! Biannual examinations are one of the most effective ways to prevent a wide range of oral health disorders that can lead to the failure of your dental implant. Furthermore, visiting your dentist regularly will allow them to detect and prevent any potential problems as early as feasible!
7. Biting on ice chips
In the heat of summer, it may appear to be a good idea to chew on a few ice cubes to keep cool. This, however, is exceedingly hazardous to both your natural teeth and dental replacements. This is because tooth enamel, dental materials, and ice share a tiny crystalline structure.
When two or more crystalline structures are brought together violently, the rules of physics demand that one of them breaks. Although the ice cube usually breaks, there have been a few incidents where biting on ice has destroyed tooth enamel or a dental restoration. Therefore, to avoid harming your implant-supported repair, it is better to avoid chewing on ice.
8. Using Your Teeth to Open Packages
This is one terrible behavior that dentists want everyone to stop, whether natural or artificial teeth. When you use your implants (and natural teeth) as tools, you put yourself at risk of severely injuring your smile, necessitating a trip to the emergency dentist.
Regular tools, such as scissors, pliers, and bottle openers, are built to endure the pressure required to open packages, and bottles, but your teeth are not. While tooth enamel is incredibly resistant, it can chip, crack, or even break when subjected to immense pressure. If you want to preserve your implants in good condition, take a few minutes to choose the correct tool for the job.
If you're seeking a long-term, dependable solution to tooth loss, dental implants are the way to go. By eliminating the above negative habits from your daily routine, you can ensure that your investment in teeth replacement will keep you smiling for years to come.
You can quickly expect to enjoy your newly restored smile for the rest of your life if you practice a few healthy habits and take a few basic measures.
Do you have any further questions about oral health and dental implants?
If you have any further questions about oral health and dental implants, you can schedule a consultation with Dr. Adatrow. Dr. Adatrow has 20 years of experience in placing dental implants, with a success rate of over 97%, and can provide you with the best possible dental treatment. He is a Board-Certified Prosthodontist and Periodontist in Memphis, TN region. Please get in touch with our office for your consultation now!
About Advanced Dental Implant and TMJ Center
Advanced Dental Implant and TMJ Center provides personalized and specialized dental treatment for patients in Desoto County, MS and Memphis, TN areas. Dr. Pradeep Adatrow is Specialist in Dental Implants and Gum Diseases and provides patients with customized treatment plans to meet the oral health needs of his patients. Dr. Adatrow is the only practicing board-certified Periodontist and Prosthodontist in the South East United States. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery and Post Graduate Prosthodontic Training from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry and his Post Graduate Training in Periodontics from Indiana University. Dr. Adatrow is board certified by the American Board of Periodontology and is a Fellow of the prestigious International College of Dentistry. Along with a devoted team of dental hygienists, assistants, and administrative staff, we strive for excellence in customer satisfaction. Please visit our website at www.advanceddentaltmj.com or call us at (662) 655-4868 to schedule a consultation.