How To Clean Your Dental Implants

Although dental implants are by far the best tooth replacement method that gives us a long lasting solution to the problem of tooth loss, they still need to be cared for just like regular teeth. This is because the surfaces of the dental crowns can still accumulate plaque and tartar, and bacteria can still live on them (if not in them), and these bacteria can spread to the surrounding gums, adjacent teeth and even the bone tissue, if an infection is deep enough and serious enough. There are many methods and tools you can use to clean your dental implant, including toothbrushes and toothpaste (the most effective method), interdental toothbrushes and dental floss to clean the gaps around it, an irrigator and mouthwash. The best is if you use a combination of these, but what method is the best depends on what kind of function the dental implant is fulfilling in the mouth.

Solo tooth replacement

For dental implants replacing single teeth, using a traditional toothbrush and some dental floss or an interdental toothbrush to clean the gaps should be plenty enough to keep it clean and remove most of the bacteria from the surfaces.

Dental implant supported bridges

The area underneath the bridge also needs to be cleaned, not just the dental implants and the surface of the bridge. To do this, you need to use a special single bristled toothbrush, or a really, really thin interdental toothbrush. This kind of toothbrush will go underneath the dental bridge, and will help you remove any bacteria and food detritus that may be lurking underneath the bridge.

Dental implant supported dentures

All on fours and all on sixes can usually be taken out and cleaned. When you take the denture out, make sure to brush your teeth and use mouthwash to clean everywhere and make sure the bacteria and food detritus do not stick to the gums.

Using an irrigator is optional, but a really good idea, because water can get into many places that toothbrushes cannot reach. This is also why using mouthwash after cleaning your teeth is a good idea too, too make sure that the remaining bacteria are also hit. But please note that no matter how well you clean your teeth, you still need to go to a dentist every six months to maintain the guarantee on your dental implants and dental prostheses like dental crowns and bridges, and the dentist will still need to occasionally clean your teeth professionally, as a preventative measure.