Those of you that have dental implants – do not be fooled. They are a genius idea and the perfect replacement for any missing teeth, however they are not immune to disease and if neglected they may become diseased. As dental health professionals, we cannot stress the importance of maintaining dental implants enough.
They will only serve you as you serve them, plenty of time and effort should be placed in order to prevent any complications further down the line. The whole dental team would advise frequent visits to a dental hygienist in order to gain the correct skills required for optimum care of dental implants.
Chronic Gum Disease:
This damage to your gums is irreversible, there is inflammation of the gums and the supporting structures of the teeth are damaged (destruction of the ligament and some bone loss). At this stage, it is vital to stabilise the condition and then to ensure its maintenance. This is done through thorough cleaning of these troublesome areas (carried out by a dental hygienist) and to ensure that the home care is of the best standard possible.
Peri – implant Disease:
When an implant is diseased, it will display very similar traits as described above. The surrounding tissues will become inflamed and most likely bleed; there may even be some pus present (depending on the level of infection) and most likely some bone loss. This may lead to the dental implant becoming quite unstable and worst case scenario, it will start to become mobile and most likely will require removal.
Due to the similarities of both diseases, the treatments are the same. The delivery of treatment to implants only differs in terms of the equipment that will be used to carry out the cleaning. Dental implants can be quite fragile and they are not as robust as natural teeth, which is why we need to use equipment that is specially designed for that particular purpose.
If a patient is considered at risk from potential gum disease then, it is advisable for that patient to be seen by a dental hygienist in order to promote healthier gums prior to dental implant placement. If the implant is placed without careful consideration of the well-being of the surrounding tissues, the likelihood is it will probably fail.
When you have a dental implant, it is of the utmost importance to attend regular visits to the dentist and dental hygienist to allow us to monitor the clinical health of the implant. We can look for certain alarming markers that may be present, which would allow us to provide the best possible care both to your dental implant and yourself.
Dental implants require 100% effort on your part and they are totally worth it!! Call us Now, and our qualified dentists and hygienists will show you how seeing a dentist can be such a relaxing and rewarding experience! And, don’t forget to sign up! Your FREE Missing Teeth Guide (alongside your first missing teeth consultation) are waiting!