Since titanium dental implants to restore missing teeth have become more popular in recent years, it is very important to know how to properly maintain them. First of all, since there is no real tooth structure to decay or get periodontal disease, one may think you would not have to do anything to the implants and they would be fine. That is not the case. We must still brush and floss like we would our normal teeth as part of our daily homecare routine to prevent what we call peri-implantitis. Peri-implantitis is when the bone that the implant is fused to gets inflamed and then separates from the implant. This is due to bacteria in our mouths that needs to be removed daily, as well as on professional dental cleanings.
During a professional dental cleaning, which should be performed minimally every 6 months, we utilize either polycarbonate or titanium instruments to clean the implants. We also utilize a vinyl-tipped ultrasonic scaler which basically blows out the bacteria around the implant to maintain a healthy environment. Stainless steel instruments should not be used on the implant itself as it might scratch and damage the implant surface, which is made of titanium. This is a very important point that not everyone is aware of. If you have any questions about how to properly maintain your dental implants, please feel free to contact us.
(The information contained in this article is strictly for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the professional knowledge or advice of your personal dentist.)
