Going through and getting dental implants can be a very effective way to replace lost or missing teeth and regaining that beautiful smile you want to show the world. However, since they are not your real teeth, steps need to be taken to ensure you are caring for your dental implants properly. While they may look and feel just like your regular teeth, caring for them may be slightly different than you are used to. This is especially true if the cause of your missing teeth was bad oral care. Take care of your dental implants with these tips so you can keep them the rest of your life.

The Basics of Dental Implants

A dental implant is a false tooth that is placed on top of a connector that your dentist has put into your jaw. After one loses a tooth, or even multiple teeth, and the gums and jaw bone have had time to heal, the dentist can then place posts into your jaw to support the new teeth. These posts can either hold one tooth, or they can support a bridge or even a mouthful of new teeth. Once the posts are placed, there are temporary teeth placed on top while your bones heal up. Once your jaw is healed, the temporary teeth are removed, and the permanent crowns are placed atop the posts.

Caring for Dental Implants

After you have your permanent dental implants in place, you need to care for them in order to keep them. While it is true that an implanted tooth will not be subjected to cavities, they will still need you to care for them in order for them to last the rest of your life. You will need to brush them at least twice a day, floss daily, and still continue to see your dentist regularly. This way, they can adjust things as necessary to keep your teeth clean and healthy. Depending on your lifestyle, your dentist may also require that you use additional cleaning aids at home, but this is not always the case.

Contact Dr. Levy today and let us help you properly care for your dental implants.