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How to Make the Most of Your Dental Implant
Replacing missing teeth has always been challenging, especially if you didn’t want to wear dentures. All that changed when dental implants gained popularity in the 1980s. Over the past four decades, dental implants have become the gold standard for replacing missing teeth.
But once your implant treatment plan concludes, how can you make the most of your dental implants? Our own Jose Marcano, DMD, at the Orlando Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, shares best practices that will keep you smiling for years to come.
Dental implants explained
A great place to start this conversation is to acknowledge that there are various dental implant treatment options available on the market. The conventional dental implant can take several months to complete. Most of the time is spent waiting to heal after surgery.
Traditional dental implant surgery typically takes between one and two hours. During surgery, your provider makes an incision and installs a titanium post in your gums to replace each missing tooth. You go home with post-op instructions, and the waiting game begins for your implants to fuse with your jawbone, in a process called osseointegration.
Once the implants have properly fused with your jaw, you return for impressions for the dental crowns, which are installed at the top of each titanium post and ultimately become your artificial teeth.
Here at Orlando Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, we offer our patients dental implant treatment options that create more immediate solutions for missing teeth, including:
- AB Dental Implants: This game-changing dental implant is specially treated in our office using the Hydrosseo machine, making them super attracted to liquids, which dramatically reduces the healing and osseointegration timeline. This nuance typically makes AB Dental Implants a two-appointment process. Once Dr. Marcano places your AB Dental Implants, you can chew and bite normally.
- All-on-6® Dental Implants: This innovative type of dental implant replaces a full arch of missing teeth using six titanium posts.
- All-on-4® Dental Implants: Similar to All-on-6, All-on-4 works just like All-on-6, but only four titanium posts are used.
Keeping your dental implants in tip-top shape
While the aesthetics of dental implants are impressive, their sheer durability can’t be beat. In fact, with proper care and vigilant attention to your oral health, your dental implants may last a lifetime.
Raise the bar on your at-home oral care hygiene routine
Replacing missing teeth with dental implants is a reset moment, and there’s no better time to take your at-home oral care routine to the next level. Brush your teeth at least twice a day, and don’t forget to floss at least once a day, and floss before brushing. Experiment with special products, such as interdental brushes or floss threaders, to help you reach those hard-to-reach places between your teeth and metal posts.
Visit your dentist for regular checkups and professional cleanings
Another great way to make the most out of your dental implants is to visit your dentist for regular checkups. These appointments help you stay on top of the health of your teeth and gums, but with dental implants, they now have a bonus. Your dentist can examine your implants to ensure they are healthy and functioning correctly. These appointments are also great opportunities for you to ask any questions about your implants.
Ditch those bad habits
Now that you have a complete set of healthy, fully functioning teeth, it’s time to kick those bad habits that may have contributed to dings in your oral health. Cleaning up bad habits prevents damage to your dental implants and extends their lifetime, but they will be equally beneficial to your natural teeth.
To prevent damage like cracks or chips, avoid chewing on ice, hard candy, or biting your nails. Avoid using your teeth like scissors. If you play impact sports, always wear a mouthguard. If you think you grind your teeth at night, talk to your provider about getting fitted for a night guard.
If you have missing teeth and want to learn if dental implants are right for you, request a consultation at Orlando Center for Cosmetic Dentistry. Call the office today at 689-220-2651 to book an appointment. Take the first step on your journey to your best smile.
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