While your implant will not decay, you can still develop gingivitis and gum disease that results in bone loss if you don’t take care of your implant and overall oral health.

Always Do the Following:

• Brush your teeth, preferably with an electric toothbrush, at least twice a day.
• Floss with unwaxed floss. We also recommend using a water flosser, such as a Waterpik with a Plaque Seeker tip, to carefully clean between your teeth. A water flosser will flush debris that may collect around the implant crown preventing tissue inflammation which leads to bone loss.
• Maintain regular dental cleanings and exams in our office. Doing so is critical to keeping your teeth healthy and allows us to examine your dental implant restoration on routine basis.

Never Do the Following:

• Chew ice, eat very hard foods, or use your teeth as tools (as in trying to open or tear items with your teeth). You can break your implant crown just as you can break a natural tooth.
• Use toothpicks or any type of metal pick around the implant. Doing so could cause serious damage to your implant.

When to Call Us

• If you experience any slight bleeding or inflammation of your gum tissue, use a warm salt-water rinse 3 to 4 times a day. If the issue doesn't resolve in a few days, call our office.
• Immediately report any excess bleeding or swelling around your implant area.
• It's imperative that you notify us if you think you feel any movement in your tooth. We take great care to tighten the internal implant screw properly so that the crown doesn't become loose. However, on occasions, we have seen an implant screw loosen which can be re-tightened without much trouble.