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Post-Operative Instructions:
Dental Implant Care Instructions

Once your dental treatment is complete, you can begin to enjoy the many pleasures that having strong, secure teeth can bring. With meticulous care, dental implants should last a lifetime. The following tips will help you keep your implants in top condition.

  • Floss, brush, and maintain good oral hygiene following the implant process.
  • Continue regular exams with your general dentist.
  • Practice meticulous oral hygiene according to the instructions provided by your dentist and hygienist. Abutment posts, the area beneath the prosthesis, artificial teeth, and gum tissue must be kept clean. Home care aids, such as special brushes and floss holders, will help you accomplish this. A great rule of thumb is that an implant needs floss around it at least once a day. Althought a waterpik or water flosser is a good adjunt, it is our recommendation that actual string floss be used. If you do not keep your implants and prosthesis clean, your implants will fail.
  • Smoking and chewing hard foods such as ice or candy may damage your implants or cause them to fail. If you find you are grinding your teeth or have a history of clenching or grinding, it is important for you and your dentist to develop a plan to help reduce the risk of damage to the implant caused by excessive grinding — for example, wearing an occlusal guard or night guard during sleep.
  • Your implant and implant crown should never feel loose or mobile. If it does, please contact our office or your general dentist as soon as possible.
  • Contact our office or your general dentist if you experience problems.