Having a dental implant can help restore your smile by replacing your missing teeth with a permanent solution. However, those artificial implants still need to be cared for if you want to avoid oral health problems. Here are some tips on ways to care for a new dental implant.

Brush and Floss Like Normal

Do not assume that you can ignore caring for a dental implant just because it is not a real tooth. You can still get gum disease due to the plaque that is left behind on the artificial tooth during the day. This can leave to having issues with gum disease in the area around the implant, which can cause it to fail in extreme circumstances. In addition, plaque on a dental implant can cause cavities to form on the tooth next to it. That's why it's crucial that you continue brushing and flossing normally to protect the implant and the surrounding teeth.

Avoid Biting Hard Objects

Your new dental implant may be strong, but it can still become damaged if you chew on hard objects. You'll need to break the habit of chewing on ice, pens, and other hard items like that. You may want to try replacing that habit with chewing gum, which is a softer biting motion that will be safe for your implant and the surrounding teeth.

Avoiding those hard objects is even more important when you have a new dental implant with a temporary crown. You do not want to put too much pressure on the implant while it is integrating with your jawbone.

Use A Mouth Guard When Playing Sports

You have invested a lot into your oral health by getting a dental implant, so you should also invest in a mouth guard to protect it further. That is especially true when playing any type of contact sport where you can get hit in the face. That dental implant can be knocked out just like a real tooth if you are not careful. Thankfully, a simple mouthguard is all it takes to give you some added protection from unexpected impact.

Use A Mouth Guard For Teeth Grinding

If you have a nighttime teeth grinding habit, a mouthguard can also help protect your teeth from rubbing against each other while you are sleeping. You run the risk of putting too much pressure on the dental implant if you don't wear a form of protection to prevent teeth grinding.

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