Why is hygiene crucial?
The phrase “you should brush your teeth more and better after dental implants” doesn’t really mean anything. Because the patient should know how to choose brushes that are suitable for the most efficient maintenance of oral hygiene. As well as products that guarantee the health of the oral cavity. Access, education and help to maintain oral hygiene in implants must be adjusted to the needs of each patient.
Proper and thorough oral hygiene is very important for the maintenance of dental implants, but unfortunately many patients do not pay enough attention to this issue. Dental implants themselves are not maintained, and it is necessary to maintain oral hygiene around dental implants and crowns.
After implantation of the dental implant and the period of adhesion to the jawbone, the dental implant is covered with gums and is not visible. However, from the moment the dental implant is put into function, that is, when it is opened and the abutment and the dental crown are screwed on it, maintaining hygiene becomes extremely important.
The part that needs the most care is the joint of the dental implant and the abutment, because any retention of dental calculus, dental plaque and bacteria in the part between the abutment and the dental implant leads to inflammation of the gums and inflammation of the bone around the implant and the dental implant dooesn’t have the ability to defend like natural tooth, which makes this situation potentially dangerous. Although there may be other reasons, the high percentage of inflammation around dental implants is due to poor hygiene.
If oral hygiene is not thorough and correct, inflammation of the mucous membrane around the implant can occur. Inflammation of the mucous membrane can also spread to the bone to which the implant is attached, and in that situation the so-called periimplantitis. If the intervention is not intervened in time, further loss of the patient’s bone occurs, which can also cause the loss of the dental implant itself.
Periimplantitis can be easily prevented by maintaining good oral hygiene as well as regular dental checkups which are important in preventing the disease. Teeth may be susceptible to periodontitis (gum disease), while dental implants may be susceptible to periimplantitis. Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory response of the tissue to the bacterial plaque that surrounds the implant, which can lead to bone breakdown around the dental implant.
In order to prevent any critical situation, our experts give each patient detailed advice on proper oral hygiene. Proper oral hygiene must be adjusted individually to each patient and the condition of his mouth.
Owners usually wear implants for the rest of their lives, which is an additional reason why it is necessary to pay attention to oral hygiene. Maintaining hygiene is far easier if the abutment and the dental crown are individually made to match each other, ie. to leave no room for bacteria to enter. This can only be achieved by choosing an individual abutment for each implant, while the installation of factory abutments carries more risk because it leaves more potential for bacteria. The individual abutment will enable the polished smooth part to be below the gums, and the connection between the abutment and the crown to be either at the level of the gums or slightly above the gums, which makes it even easier for the patient to maintain hygiene.
At the Cvjetković Dental Practice, we pay great attention to the training of patients for the maintenance of their prosthetic and implant works, because that is the best way to reduce the chance for new arrivals and treatments. The training is even more important for patients who live outside Serbia and are therefore unable to come for regular check-ups.
Regular brushing of teeth is the primary form of maintaining oral hygiene around implants and crowns. However, it is necessary to apply additional measures such as the use of special dental floss (for example, Oral B Super-Floss).
