Implant aftercare

[Nate]

I would like to have two implants and been saving up to have the treatment done. I lost my teeth after they became loose because of gum disease but my dentist treated my gum disease and now my other teeth are ok.

I would like to know what sort of aftercare implants need. Because they are made from metal, I suppose they cant decay or break, so do they need brushing and cleaning and general aftercare?

Is implant aftercare important or can the implants be left as they are without much work and maintenance?

[Dr Vahid Motahar]

Hi,

Thank you for your question.

Like natural teeth, implant teeth are also affected by accumulation of plaque and calculus and one must have excellent oral hygiene with implants as in with teeth.

In your case having excellent oral hygiene is even more important. Beacuse it appears from your question that you suffer from gum or periodontal disease which is related to loss of bone around the root of the teeth due to build up of plaque and calculus. Your implant can be affected exactly in the same way as your natural teeth are affected and if you do not take care of them, they will lose the bone around them. Like teeth they can become loose and wobbaly and if so they need to be removed (with teeth if there is some mobility is not a big issue and it may be kept whereas with implants this is not the case).

You must have regular dental and hygiene visists after your implant is placed and maintain a good oral hygiene to maximise the stability of not just your implant but your teeth also.