If you have dental implants, you’re probably thrilled about what they’ve done for your smile! But now it’s a matter of keeping them clean and in optimal shape—and the best way to go about this is by maintaining regular oral hygiene. This means brushing and flossing! Here’s more from your dentist about the importance of flossing with dental implants, along with some tips for doing it the correct way.
The Importance of Flossing with Dental Implants
Sadly, many people don’t take flossing as seriously as brushing their teeth—some surveys show that up to 80% of people don’t floss regularly! But flossing isn’t optional and yields countless benefits for your oral health, especially if you have dental implants or some other type of dental restoration.
Brushing your teeth only cleans roughly 60% of your teeth’s total surface area, meaning that a lot of food debris and bacteria is left remaining. However, the act of flossing allows you to reach those hard-to-access spaces inside of your mouth that you can’t reach with your brush. This greatly reduces the risk of you developing a serious oral health issue resulting from tooth decay, gum disease, or other untreated problems.
However, flossing also serves another important purpose for your dental implants. Your natural teeth and gums are connected via the periodontal ligament; but dental implants are surgically implanted into your jawbone and aren’t connected to this ligament. Instead, they rely on a special peri-implant seal to remain attached to your gums.
Since this seal lacks the nerve network that your periodontal ligament has, it’s unable to send your brain pain signals if it breaks. And if it breaks, bacteria have easy access to your jawbone and can begin wreaking havoc inside of your mouth! This will ultimately lead to implant failure; however, it can easily be mitigated by flossing with a proper and effective technique.
Helpful Tips for Flossing Your Implants
Your dentist will demonstrate how to properly brush, floss, and care for your implants after you’ve received them. That said, the following flossing practices will ensure that you’re sufficiently caring for your implants:
- Never push the floss down into the gum pocket; rather, gently slide the floss between each tooth.
- Remove a long strand of floss (about 18cm) and wrap the ends around your fingers, leaving a few inches to work with.
- Use a “C” motion to thoroughly clean around the base of each tooth.
- Move the dental floss between your fingers to reveal a clean section and move on to the next tooth.
- If you fear that you can’t floss without disturbing the peri-implant seal, contact your dentist for assistance.
Ultimately, your dental implants can only do their job if you’re vigilant about your oral hygiene. That said, knowing how to properly floss with dental implants and implementing these tips will ensure that your new pearly whites are brilliant and healthy for many years to come.
About the Practice
The team at South Florida Oral & Maxillofacial has proudly served patients and families in the Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, and Loxahatchee Groves areas for several years. The practice is fortunate to house five skilled specialists: Dr. Paul Weinstein, Dr. Travis Thompson, Dr. Jeronimo Guzman, Dr. Christopher Chafin, and Dr. Monika Ducharme. If you have any questions about how to floss your dental implants, or you’d like to arrange a visit, you can contact the practice online or over the phone for assistance: (561) 743-8311.