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3 Lifestyle Changes to Help Your Dental Implants Last Longer

December 12, 2024

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Under ideal circumstances, dental implants are a permanent solution for missing teeth. They have the potential to last throughout your lifetime! However, they can only live up to that potential if you take good care of them. What are some lifestyle changes that might help your dental implants last longer? This blog post contains some practical suggestions that should keep your smile in great shape for many years to come.

Take Excellent Care of Your Mouth

Dental implants can fail if an infection invades the surrounding tissues. One of the most effective ways to prevent such an infection is via thorough oral hygiene. You should:

  • Visit your dentist every six months for a checkup and cleaning.
  • Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Be sure to clean along your gumline!
  • Carefully clean around the base of your implants with a water flosser or string floss.
  • Talk to your dentist if you ever notice any problems that might affect your dental implants, such as unusual pain, redness, swelling, or gum recession.
  • Regularly use an antibacterial mouth rinse.

Quit Smoking

Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for dental implant failure. It could put your prosthetic teeth in danger in a few ways:

  • You may be more prone to dry mouth, which can allow harmful bacteria to multiply and thrive.
  • Your immune system may become compromised, so it will be less able to fight off oral infections.
  • Smoking can have huge consequences for your overall health, which can have a great impact on your oral health and the state of your dental implants.

Of course, it must be acknowledged that quitting smoking can be extremely challenging. If you are fighting with this habit, your primary care practitioner may be able to help you formulate a reasonable “quit plan.”

Manage Your Overall Health

There is a strong connection between overall health and oral health, so it is important that you try to take good care of yourself from head-to-toe. For example, you should:

  • Eat a balanced, nutritious diet. Try to limit your intake of sugary foods. Instead, consume lots of nutrient-rich items, such as vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins.
  • Exercise regularly. A good exercise routine can support your immune system and reduce body-wide inflammation.
  • Try to manage stress. Prolonged stress can negatively affect your immune system. It may also contribute to teeth grinding, which can be very damaging to both natural and prosthetic teeth.
  • Keep chronic health conditions under control. For example, if you have diabetes, you should do all you can to manage your blood sugar levels.

Dental implants can be a lifelong solution to missing teeth! Do all you can to protect them from premature failure.

Meet the Practice

Dr. Susan Partovi has more than 30 years of experience in dentistry, and she proudly partners with local specialists to provide comprehensive dental implant services. If you have questions about this form of tooth replacement or how to get the most out of it, our team would be delighted to speak with you. Contact Signature Smiles of Rockville at 301-990-0020.