Implant maintenance and hygiene

Implants are a well-established, tried-and-tested treatment. Like natural teeth, how long they last depends largely on how well you look after them and whether you keep up your regular hygienist and check-up visits. If they aren’t cleaned well, a coating builds up around them, just as it does on neglected teeth, and this can lead to gum infection, bleeding and soreness. With good care, and strong, healthy bone around them, implants can last for many years. But as with other implants in the body, such as a hip replacement, there is no lifetime guarantee.

It can. Implants can’t decay, but like teeth they can develop gum problems, and bone can sometimes be lost around them. If that bone loss keeps progressing, the implant may be lost. Smoking and heavy drinking both reduce how long implants, and teeth, survive. Your protection is thorough daily cleaning, regular hygienist visits, which reduce the risk, and check-ups, so that any problem is found early, when it’s easier to treat. If an implant is failing, we’ll plan the next step with you.

Implants and the teeth they hold can be damaged in an accident, just like natural teeth. If you play contact sports, or sports with a ball, wear a mouthguard made by your dentist. If only the crown or bridge is damaged, it can usually be removed from the implant and replaced. If the titanium implant itself is damaged beyond repair and is too difficult to remove, it can safely be left in the jaw, and another implant placed alongside it.

You can, if implants aren’t cleaned well enough. Gum problems can develop around implants just as they do around teeth, and in the worst cases can lead to an implant being lost. Keeping your implants clean, and going to your routine dentist and hygienist appointments, gives them the greatest chance of staying healthy. Smoking affects the health of both teeth and implants, so if you smoke you may need to take extra care.

Yes. Both smoking and heavy drinking reduce how long implants survive, and raise the risk of an implant failing. The same is true of natural teeth. If you smoke, please tell us at your consultation so we can take it into account when planning your treatment. You may need to take extra care of your implants, with thorough daily cleaning and regular hygienist visits.

Time off work isn’t usually necessary. Just to be on the safe side, though, avoid booking important social events or work commitments for at least a week after your implants are placed. If you have IV sedation, you’ll need to rest for a day or two and follow the sedation advice we give you.

Yes. While new implants heal, your denture mustn’t press on them. So we may need to adjust your denture, or ask you to leave it out for a while after your implants are placed. We’ll explain exactly what to do, and for how long, when we plan your treatment.

Sedation can affect your coordination and judgement for a while, so follow our advice for 48 hours afterwards. Rest for a day or two. Don’t drive, cycle, use machinery, climb ladders or do anything that needs skill or judgement. Avoid alcohol and sleeping tablets, and don’t make important decisions or sign legal documents. Someone must stay with you for 24 hours. If you have any concerns, call the practice on 01285 640248 or, outside opening hours, our on-call mobile on 07912 668541.

No. Cleaning around implant teeth is no harder than cleaning natural teeth, although some areas can be tricky to reach, and we’ll show you how. Care for implant crowns and bridges just as you would your own teeth: brush thoroughly twice a day and clean between your teeth once a day. Most important of all, keep the area where each implant comes through the gum clean, ideally in the evening with a fine interdental brush. You may need to see the hygienist more often than before.

Bacteria in food debris and plaque can get into the gum and bone more easily at the point where an implant comes through the gum. This can cause inflammation around the implant, known as peri-implantitis, which in the worst cases can lead to the implant being lost. Cleaning this area carefully every day, and seeing your hygienist regularly, helps to prevent it.

Twice a day, clean the denture itself and the attachments that come through your gum, using a toothbrush. Then clean carefully all around where each attachment meets the gum with a fine interdental brush. These areas matter most, because bacteria can get into the gum and bone there more easily. Your hygienist can show you how.

You can, but take care. Pulling floss quickly back and forth can injure the gum. Interdental brushes, small brushes that fit between the teeth, are gentler, safer and more efficient at cleaning around implants. Your hygienist can show you how to use them properly.

Once everything has healed, use a medium-soft toothbrush with rounded, bundled bristles. Hard or poor-quality brushes, especially if you press hard, can make the gum shrink back around implants and teeth. An electric toothbrush is neither better nor worse than a manual one. If you’re used to one and use it correctly, it’s fine for implant teeth once your crown or bridge has been in for a week or two. Ask your dentist or hygienist to recommend a brush and technique.

Opinions differ. A dental water jet (sometimes called a water flosser) cleans well, but if it’s too powerful it can injure the gum and push bacteria underneath it. If you haven’t used one before, we’d suggest you don’t start now that you have implants. Your hygienist can recommend other ways to clean.

It’s better not to use it every day. Whitening toothpastes often contain larger abrasive particles, which can roughen the surface of your new crowns. Plaque then builds up more easily, and the roughened surfaces discolour faster. Choose a standard toothpaste without a whitening effect for everyday use.

Yes, for rinsing after snacks or freshening your mouth during the day, and some mouthwashes may help with inflammation. But don’t rely on it to treat a problem yourself. If your gums are sore for several days in a row, or bleed when you brush, book an appointment with your dentist.

Regular visits are every bit as important with implants as with natural teeth, because problems are easier to treat when they’re found early. We usually recommend seeing a hygienist every 2 to 3 months and your dentist every 6 months. Your dentist may suggest check-ups more often, every 3 or 4 months, and visits are usually more frequent in the first year after your implants start working. They will advise on the right interval for you.

Call us straight away if you notice soreness, discharge or pain on chewing near an implant, or if an implant or implant bridge feels loose. A loose bridge should be re-tightened promptly to avoid further damage, and a loose implant won’t tighten again, so it needs to be seen. A porcelain crown on an implant can chip, as one on a natural tooth can, but it’s usually easier to remove for repair. However small the worry, it’s always better to check. Call 01285 640248 or, outside opening hours, our on-call mobile on 07912 668541.

A hygienist removes hidden and hardened plaque that you can’t reach with a toothbrush or interdental brush. They then polish the surfaces of your teeth, which makes it harder for new plaque to build up. They’ll also check how you’re cleaning at home, and show you ways to reach any areas that are difficult to clean around your implants.

Your hygienist starts by asking how your implant feels, and whether you’ve noticed bleeding, pus, a bad taste or pain. Next, they check the gum around each implant for colour, texture, swelling and bleeding, and whether the implant moves. If the gum is healthy, a gentle polish is all that’s needed. If not, they clean around the implant with an ultrasonic instrument designed for implants, and may rinse the area with an antiseptic. They then go through your home care with you, and note even small changes so your dentist can follow them up.