Cleaning Implant Supported Dentures
Your new teeth are just like your natural teeth and will require daily maintenance as well as professional care to stay healthy. Prior to your implant supported dentures, you may have suffered from gum disease and tooth decay. Daily brushing and flossing with twice yearly professional cleanings help keep these problems managed and even eradicated. Implant supported dentures require the same commitment to ensure your oral health and as well as the longevity of your actual dentures. Replacing your natural teeth takes time and money, so it is prudent to maintain your investment as you would your home or car.
Your new implant supported dentures took months of healing, appointments, and procedures so you will want to extend the life of your new teeth for as long as possible. Not all implant supported dentures can be removed without a dentist, and others can be taken in and out each morning and evening to clean. Either way, your gums must be cleaned each morning and each night to keep bacteria from creating problems for your mouth. Infections can cause problems for your implants and require more serious dental procedures to restore your mouth to health.
Your dentures need to be cleaned carefully, either every day by you at home or by the dentist when they are removed professionally during your checkups. Your dentures are supported by attachments to implants in your jawbone and should be removed to clean or cleaned in your mouth every day. Professional cleaning should be scheduled at least twice a year. The dentist can review the fit and make any adjustments to the dentures if they need minor changes to fit better in your mouth.
Don’t skip your dental appointments after you have had your implant supported dentures made and fitted. The dentist can use these appointments to assure the tissues in your mouth are healthy and cancer free. You can take the time to talk to the dentist about the fit and areas where your dentures are uncomfortable after wearing. The dentist will need to maintain the abutments or the attachments where the dentures fit into the implants. If you take the dentures in and out every day, the wear and tear on the abutments will eventually lead to the replacement of the abutments. You may notice a looser fit, but the dentist is the only one who can change out the abutments.
What You Can Expect from Your Implant-Supported Dentures
If you take care of your implant supported dentures, you should have years and years of confidence with your smile and in social situations. The reliability of implant supported dentures versus the less secure traditional dentures remains as reliable as long as you take care of your gums and dentures every day. Your daily maintenance includes carefully choosing your diet. Sticky foods, hard foods, and very chewy foods can wear on your dentures more than a conscientiously selected diet. Denture caused sore spots do happen and as your jaw bone changes, the bite between your dentures may need to be adjusted. You can count on your dentist to help you stay as comfortable, healthy and confident in your new smile as possible.
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