Dental Implants, Prioritize Preserving Your Bones and Gums

Dental implants are an amazing technology. These titanium tooth roots can secure replacement teeth for one lost tooth or an entire arch. They look and function like natural teeth. With proper care, they have the ability to last a long time, possibly a lifetime.

However, as remarkable as dental implants are, they depend on your body for support. This means that if something happens to your bones and/or gums, dental implants can fail. So it’s vital that you take care of natural tissues when getting dental implants if you want to have the most attractive, comfortable, functional, and, above all, durable results. 

Choose the Right Dentist

Nothing will make more of a difference in your dental implant results than your choice of implant dentist. You want to make sure you’re working with a dentist who prioritizes your natural tissues and takes steps to ensure damage to them is minimized.

At Beyond Exceptional Dentistry, we know how precious your natural tissue is. We use strategies to make sure you keep as much bone and gums as possible. One of the strategies we use is platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and platelet rich plasma (PRP). These healing factors extracted from your own blood give your body a jumpstart on the healing process. This can help your body replace bone faster so you end up with more substantial and healthier bone.

We also preserve your natural bone by using CeraSmile® implant bridges. This advanced technique for replacing lost teeth is completely customized to your jaw so that it preserves more of your natural bone.

Other implant bridges might require removing extensive bone to meet the engineered design of the bridge. We believe that restorations should be customized to your needs, rather than customizing your bones and gums to meet the design of a bridge.

With these two techniques, we make sure your bones and gums are in the best possible shape after the implant procedure. 

Follow Postoperative Instructions

Dental implant success is a team effort. You have a part to play in this process. Several in fact. Your first part is to make sure you’re following all the postoperative instructions your dentist gives you. This means avoiding the foods, drinks, and behaviors that can damage your gums and bones or impair healing.

The biggest things to avoid after getting dental implants are alcohol and tobacco. Both of these can interfere with bone healing and increase your risk of gum disease. Since gum disease is the leading cause of dental implant failure–just like it’s the leading cause of tooth loss among adults–you have to take extra care to protect your gums throughout the healing process and beyond.

Practice Good Hygiene

We’ve already mentioned the importance of protecting against gum disease, and we can’t emphasize this enough. Some people think that, since dental implants can’t develop cavities, they don’t need to brush and floss. However, it’s still vitally important to keep your dental implants and restorations clean so that bacteria don’t develop around them.

Because dental implants and bridges are a little different from natural teeth in structure, it might take a little while to figure out the best cleaning methods and cleaning tools to achieve and maintain good oral health. Keep an eye out for the first signs of peri-implantitis (gum disease around implants), such as red, inflamed, or tender gums around your implants. If you notice these signs, it might be time to modify your oral hygiene routine, either with a different technique, or a different tool, such as interdental cleaners or a water flosser.

If you continue seeing red or tender gums, you might need more regular professional cleanings to protect your implants. 

Eat a Nutritious Diet

In addition to removing oral bacteria, you can help your body maintain good bone and healthy gums around dental implants by eating a diet full of the nutrients your body needs. There are some nutrients that are critical to bone healing and gum maintenance.

Of course you know that vitamin D is important for bone health, but there are others that are equally important. Vitamin K is D’s partner in using calcium. Vitamin A stimulates the production of osteoclasts. Osteoclasts break down your bone, which is important for removing damaged bone so your body can build new bone that bonds to your dental implants. Several different B-vitamins help you maintain bone health, including B2, B6, folate, and B12. Also, make sure you’re getting enough phosphorus and calcium for your bones.

Looking for Healthy Dental Implants in Savannah, GA?

If you are considering dental implants, it’s important to choose a dentist who understands that these implants depend on healthy tissues like gums and bones. At Beyond Exceptional Dentistry, our implant solutions are designed to maintain your healthy bone and gums. This ensures you have a healthy foundation for long-lasting dental implants. Combined with our advanced technology and in-depth knowledge of cosmetic dentistry, you will get an experience at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry unlike that offered by any other dental office.

To learn more about what sets Beyond Exceptional Dentistry apart, please call (912) 234-8282 or use our online contact form today to schedule an initial consultation at our Savannah, GA office.