How to Care for Your Implants

Dental implants may be artificial teeth, meaning they can’t get cavities the way your natural teeth can. However, that doesn’t mean that you can skimp on aftercare. Here, we’ll look at how to take care of your implants, so they both look great and last as long as possible.

Directly After Your Implants

Your dentist will undoubtedly give you several tips on what to do after surgery, but the most important thing to remember is to protect the site as much as possible during the first 24 hours. Gauze pads can help you isolate the area, so it’s less likely to be disturbed during the initial healing process. You’ll also want to stay away from crunchy foods in the first week before gradually reintroducing your standard diet.

Ongoing Care

Thankfully, implant care in St. Louis, MO is very similar to standard dental care:

• Hygiene: Brushing, flossing, water flossing, mouth wash, regular dental checkups: these are all important to keep stains and bacteria off your implants. While accumulated plaque may not threaten the tooth, it can still threaten the surrounding teeth and your gums if you’re not keeping up with regular dental hygiene.
• Habits: Cutting back on smoking and sugar can help you protect your oral health, including the implants that you worked so hard to get. Also, consider cutting back on extremely crunchy foods. While implants are strong enough to handle the pressure, you can potentially extend their longevity if you treat them with kids gloves.

Dentists in St. Louis

Implants can last for decades when you put in the time. If you’re looking for a dentist in St. Louis who can help you stay on track, the team at Smile Now STL is here to help you get there!