05.06.2023.
Author: Roman Stamatović, dr.med.dent.
How to maintain oral hygiene after implant installation?
Once you have decided to have an implant and get a new smile, you will need to learn how to properly maintain the oral hygiene of the implant. Dental implants need to be cleaned like natural teeth at least twice a day with regular check-ups.
After oral surgery, patients can drink an analgesic when the local anaesthesia wears off. It is recommended to keep cold compresses on for at least 36 hours after the procedure, that is ice for 15 minutes with 30-minute breaks. Continuous application of ice is not recommended. Patients must reduce physical activity for a few days and eat softer food, in order not to break the stitches or push food into the wound, which could disturb the stability of the implant.
Postoperative oral hygiene of dental implants is very important, contributing to the overall success of oral surgery. After implant placement, the therapist will educate the patient about proper maintenance of the peri-implant tissue and will direct them to proper oral hygiene.
What is recommended for cleaning the area around implants?
The zone around the implant should be kept clean, and this is achieved by using mouthwash, soft brushes, electric ultrasonic brushes, plasticized interdental brushes, dental floss and oral douches.
Mouthwash liquid
In the first phase, following the dental implant placement, rinse with antiseptic agents such as a 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) solution.
Which brush to choose?
A soft or super soft brush is recommended as harder brushes or brushes made with harder fibres could damage the tissue around the implant.
Interdental brushes
These serve to clean areas which cannot otherwise be cleaned with an ordinary brush. The interdental brush is drawn into wider spaces and gaps that are left with the intention of easier cleaning.
Dental floss
By using dental floss, we clean the spaces between the crown of the tooth and the implant, adjacent teeth, as well as the edges of the gums. There is a special floss in strips with reinforced ends that is used to clean inaccessible areas under dental bridges and All on 4 construction on implants. The floss has a plasticized thread on one side that is inserted under the bridge and pulled through to the other side, and the spongy part of the floss is used for cleaning under the bridge with back and forth movements.
Water flosser
A water flosser is a means by which food residues and plaque are thoroughly removed, thus serving as a prevention for peri-implantitis.Exceptional hygiene around dental implants is maintained with a water flosser.
Professional cleaning at the dentist’s studio
During regular check-ups once a year, our dentists clean the areas around the implants with special instruments.
These are short preventive check-ups that ensure long-term satisfaction and safety with your implants. Adequate oral hygiene after surgery reduces the possibility of possible complications, and thus the recovery time.Inadequate oral hygiene is the biggest reason for unsuccessful osseointegration or subsequent implant rejection.