Many experts consider dental implants the gold standard of replacement teeth because of their many unique advantages. Unlike dentures and dental bridges, these restorations are embedded directly into your jawbone, which allows them to provide several benefits over the alternatives.
Unfortunately, your dental implants can fail despite their strength and stability if you don’t care for them properly. Maintaining a healthy at-home dental hygiene routine of brushing twice daily can prevent potential problems. Still, if you’re not also consistently flossing, you could be putting your grin at risk. Continue reading to learn more about how to successfully floss your dental implant to prevent possible failure!
Why Is Flossing My Dental Implant Important?
One of the many reasons that dental implants continue to gain popularity is because they’re incredibly reliable. They have a success rate of more than 95% even up to 10 years after their initial placement, but that doesn’t mean they’re invincible. Your restoration can fail, and unfortunately, gum disease is the number one leading cause.
If bacteria in your mouth penetrate the connective tissues around your implant, it can lead to peri-implantitis, a form of gum disease that can erode your jawbone if left unaddressed, destabilizing your new tooth.
Is Flossing Dental Implants Difficult?
Flossing is a simple and effective way to remove plaque buildup from between your teeth and along your gumline, avoiding issues like decay and disease. However, you must be cautious when cleaning the tissues around your prosthetic.
When you floss your teeth, you typically reach into the pocket of your gums to clear away deep-seated gunk that may have collected. This is safe to do because they’re held in place by a periodontal ligament that’s incredibly strong and sends pain signals to your brain if you push too hard.
But your dental implant isn’t held in place with organic tissues. It contains a seal known as a peri-implant seal, which does not contain any nerves and won’t let you know if it’s been broken. If you push too deeply into the pocket of your gums, you could damage the seal and end up with an infection.
How Should I Floss My Dental Implant?
Using traditional floss, gently glide a strand up and down between your teeth. Be sure to rub it along the side of the crown of your restoration to remove any accumulated materials there. Then, gently glide it around the base, creating a C-shape with the glossy string. If you’re struggling to get it under your prosthetic, you might try using a floss threader, which some patients find helpful.
If you’re concerned about harming the peri-implant seal, you can try an oral irrigator (or water flosser) that uses a stream of high-pressure water to remove unwanted food particles, germs, and plaque.
Taking a few extra precautions can keep your dental implant clean and clear to prevent a potential failure!
About the Practice
Patients at Dr. Euksuzian & Dr. Braatz Family and Cosmetic Dentistry benefit from a team of experts who work together to provide a full array of services conveniently under one roof, including dental implants. They take the time to get to know your unique needs, then customize treatment plans to address them. Plus, they have the training and state-of-the-art technology required to perform the implant surgical procedure in the office, so there’s no need to seek outside providers or additional specialists. If you’re eager to replace missing teeth, you can request a consultation on the website or call (609) 245-5184.
