You may be contemplating getting dental implants in Granada Hills, California, and the surrounding areas and wonder what you will need to do to make sure your investment lasts. If you have already had implants placed, you may be obtaining the necessary follow up your dentist has recommended.
It is of the utmost importance that you avoid thinking that now that you have an implant, no further follow-up is necessary. You will need to continue to see your dentist and your Registered Dental Hygienist (if your dentist utilizes a hygienist) to provide your dental hygiene care. When the maintenance of the implants is overlooked, the consequences may be gum recession, bone loss, possible infection, or even worse—a failed implant.
Depending upon your periodontal condition and any health conditions you may have, you will be asked to come for hygiene appointments every three to four months. It is not a regular hygiene cleaning; it is periodontal maintenance. Implants are cleaned below the gum line in order to remove any accumulating plaque (soft buildup) and calculus (hard buildup). Plastic instruments are used to avoid damaging the implant threads. If you have insurance, you may be limited to two regular hygiene appointments per year as a benefit, but you will have to come more frequently and receive a different type of cleaning if your dentist or hygienist recommends this type of maintenance treatment.
So it is in your best interest to schedule regular hygiene appointments to not only avoid any issues with other teeth, but to avoid a problem with an implant or implants which may have been placed. The benefits of maintaining your implants are numerous, but the most important benefit is having those implants in place for many years to come!
To learn more about dental implant maintenance and care, contact the practice of John Bosak, Jr., DMD today.