If you’ve recently gotten or will soon get dental implants from a Beverly Hills dentist, you likely have questions about the care they will require. If you have yet to have the surgery, you’ll need to focus on pre-care and post-care. Before the implant is put in, your mouth should be completely clean in order to avoid infection and other serious complications. As your dentist in Beverly Hills would advise, you should religiously brush your teeth, use mouthwash, and floss in the days coming up to your implant (although you should already be doing this daily). Your dentist or dental hygienist should give you tips on how to prepare.

Preparation for dental implants includes keeping the tissues around your teeth in good condition. Your Beverly Hills dentist can give you more details on what this looks like. Of course, the majority of work occurs after the implant has been put in. Even in the most sterile environment, dental implants can move bacteria into places where it would usually not be. This is why your Beverly Hills dentist will advise you to follow the regimen they prescribe after the operation. The last thing you need after going through all the stress of having dental implants put in is to be put out of commission by an infection that could have easily been avoided.

Dental experts recommend that at least 85% of plaque be eliminated every day starting as soon as the implants are fully put in. This also involves thoroughly cleaning your teeth every day. You can also help yourself by avoiding foods and habits that may lead to more plaque, like soda. One lesser known fact that any competent dentist in Beverly Hills could alert implant patients to is that sometimes too much cleaning can also lead to problems. While religiously cleaning is vital to post-operation health, over-cleaning can also have detrimental effects. At minimum, it can ruin the large investment you’ve made in your implants and require a second operation.

So, how do you avoid doing too much cleaning? First, you need to find a toothpaste to use that is gentle on your new implants. Before using any toothpaste, make sure to run it by your dental hygienist to ensure it isn’t overly abrasive. If it’s too abrasive, you run the risk of damaging key portions of your dental implants before they’ve fully settled in. However, just monitoring the type of toothpaste you use will not be enough. You also need to make sure you brush gently. During this time, it may be wise to avoid automatic toothbrushes or any tool for which you can’t control the precise stress put on your teeth. Some supplies that would ordinarily be fine to use to clean teeth should also be avoided after a dental implant is put in until your Beverly Hills dentist or hygienist says otherwise. These include baking soda, toothpaste designed for smokers (these brands usually are even harsher than standard toothpaste because they fight to remove stains), stain removers, and sodium fluoride.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of things to avoid before and after having dental implants. Above all, it’s vital to understand how the process works so you can better protect the investment you have made or will be making. Since implants are foreign, your body will take awhile to fully adapt to them. In the short time window that your body is adapting to them, it’s important to not further stress the region in which you’re getting implants. The best source for information specific to you for caring for your dental implants is your own Beverly Hills dentist. Give Holistic Smile Care a call today to schedule a consultation for dental implants!