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Heart Health: Don't Neglect Dental Care

Heart disease runs in my family, and I have been determined my entire life to not become a statistic. I eat well, and I exercise every day. I also visit my general practitioner every year for a full health check-up. One day, when discussing my family history of heart disease, my doctor asked me how often I visited the dentist. This was not a question I expected. I told her that I hadn't been to one in a while. She told me that a large part of keeping my heart in good shape was keeping my teeth healthy, and that I should start going to the dentist every 6-months. I researched online and found out how right she was! Now, I never skip a dental check-up. I created this blog to help others with heart problems in their families realize how important dental care is for them.

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Heart Health: Don't Neglect Dental Care

How To Take Care Of Your Dental Implants

27 December 2016
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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If you just got dental implants, it is important that you understand how to take care of your new implants. Dental implants will not experience the same decay as regular teeth, since they are made out of synthetic material; however, that does not mean that you don't have to take care of your teeth now that you have implants.

#1 Brush Your Teeth

You don't want to end up with any more dental implants than you currently have. In order to ensure that the teeth around your dental implant do not decay, you need to make sure that you brush your teeth at least twice a day. When you brush your teeth, do not rush. Make sure that you take a few minutes to brush your teeth. As you brush, be sure to brush in a circular motion.

It is extremely important that you pay attention to your gums as well when you brush. Brush right along your gum line, where your teeth meet with your gums. Brush in a circular motion  like you do on the rest of your mouth. Spend a good amount of time brushing this section of your mouth every day. Brushing and taking care of your gums will help prevent you from developing gum disease.

#2 Use a Water Flosser

Next, you are going to want to use a water flosser on your mouth. This is a specialized tool that you can purchase that will allow you to really clean around your gum line, which is especially important when you have dental implants. It is a much more effective way to floss and really removes plaque and buildup around your gum line on all sides of your tooth. Plaque tends to build up more around dental implants, and a water flosser uses a combination of water and bristles to whisk away plaque in the hard-to-reach areas around your dental implant. It will remove plaque that is building up around the bottom of your dental implants, below the gum line, which can be difficult to remove with regular floss.

Additionally, the way that a water flosser moves helps improve circulation in your gums as well, which can be beneficial to your overall gum health. Keeping your gums healthy is the key to ensuring that your dental implant lasts, as your dental implant is embedded into your jaw and gum line, you need healthy bones and gums to protect your dental implant.

For more information on how to care for your dental implants, talk to a dentist at an office like Marinak and Glossner, D.D.S., P.C.