If you have just gotten dental implants in Pittsburgh, PA or you are thinking about getting them, you’ll likely be interested in how to keep them healthy and beautiful for a lifetime because if you do take care of your implants properly, you can expect them to last you the rest of your life! Since dental implants mimic natural teeth in both function and appearance, an easy way to remember how to take care of them is to just treat them as you would natural teeth. Our periodontist, Dr. Michael Stypula, created an easy reference guide for patients to follow on how to keep their dental implants healthy immediately after surgery.
5 Tips for Keeping Your Dental Implants Healthy
1. Only Take Doctor Directed Medications
Following Dr.
Stypula’s direction on medication can ensure a reduced chance of
infection, swollen
gums or other serious
health problems. Be sure to provide a list of your current medications in case
there are any that could cause complications.
2. Avoid Tobacco and
Alcohol
Both smoking and
drinking can increase the chance of inflammation and swollen
gums around dental
implants. Smoking can also
increase risks of disease while alcohol will dehydrate the soft tissues of the
mouth.
3. Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking 6-8 glasses
of water a day keeps your mouth and soft tissues hydrated. Proper hydration
speeds up the healing process and presents fewer complications after surgery.
4. Schedule a Follow Up
Appointment
Getting routine
checkups is important to ensure that your implants are healing properly. We
typically like to see patients the following week after implant surgery to be
sure that everything is healing well and no complications present themselves.
After this first follow up appointment, you should continue visiting the
periodontist on a bi-yearly basis.
5. Create Oral Hygiene
Routines
If you didn’t take
good care of your natural teeth, now is the time to get into good habits!
Protecting your dental implant investment will ensure they last you for a
lifetime. Brushing your new teeth twice a day and flossing every day will help
prevent bacteria and disease from infecting your mouth.
Did
You Schedule Your Next Check-Up?
Make a dental
implants appointment with
Dr. Stypula today by calling 412-348-8833 or scheduling online.
