Dental implants can improve your smile and confidence if you’ve lost teeth. While they’re durable and long-lasting, they require daily care to prevent damage. To protect your smile and investment, practice these maintenance tips.

How to Clean Single Implants

Use soft-bristled toothbrushes because they’re less likely to cause bleeding and are just as effective as medium or hard bristles for removing plaque. Brush once in the morning and once at night with low-abrasive toothpaste to remove bacteria. Low-abrasive toothpaste won’t wear acrylic or glaze from porcelain implants. 

Floss around the implant at least once a day. A water flosser, which sprays a water jet to clear plaque, works just as well as thread.

Brush under and around the crown with an angled-neck toothbrush or interdental brush with a slim head. Peri-implantitis, or inflammation in the bone structure, can occur if implants aren’t cared for appropriately.

How to Clean All-on-4

All-on-4 dental implants require similar attention as the single models with a few extra care steps. Brush and floss as normal. Since all-on-4 types make up one full arch of top or bottom teeth in four separate sections, they require extra attention to remove debris from the gum line. 

Most water flossers come with a rubber tip stimulator, which removes food particles trapped between the bridge and gum line. Use this attachment once per day on a medium to low setting. High settings could separate the gum and reveal the dental implant.

Use a sulcus brush, which is one-third the width of a regular toothbrush, to clean the soft tissue around the dental implant if an angled-neck or interdental brush doesn’t remove enough debris.

What to Avoid

Avoid using abrasive cleaning products, like baking soda or other harsh chemicals to clean teeth because they may permanently damage the acrylic or porcelain material.

Never use bleach or chlorine for similar reasons, except they tarnish and corrode the metal parts in the dental implants.

Don’t chew hard items like ice or nuts to avoid cracking the implant. Stop smoking because it can inflame your gums.

If you’re interested in scheduling a denture implant consultation, contact the experts at Implant Center of Maui in Kahului, HI. Their friendly and knowledgable staff has helped patients with cleaning services, preventative dentistry, and periodontal dentistry for more than 30 years. Call today at (808) 877-3606 to make an appointment, or visit their website for more information on their services.