How to Prevent Infections After Dental Implants

How to Prevent Infections After Dental Implants

Once you meet somebody, the first thing you will see is their smile. Unfortunately, some people are not confident with their smile due to teeth discoloration, decay, and even lousy breathing, mainly contributed by poor oral hygiene. Fortunately, these problems are treatable, and you can restore your beautiful smile.

Today, many people opt to have dental implants once they get rid of their problematic teeth. But what’s a dental implant? An implant replaces the missing tooth down from the root to the crown. Although the implant process is invasive and requires several surgeries, it is safe and has minimal risks. Once a trained specialist does it, it will give you long-term services, and your smile will be improved, making your chewing and biting easy.

Oral hygiene is essential after your dental implants. Poor oral habits decrease the life of your implant. Therefore you should make your oral maintenance a lifetime investment. In case you experience the following symptoms after your implant, see your dentist immediately:

• Swollen or red gum at the implant area

• Bad breath

• Fever

• Visible threads

• Bleeding when brushing

• Throbbing pain

• Loose implant

• Pus emanating from implant area

• Gum discoloration

You should follow these tips to avoid the above symptoms:

1. Maintain Good Oral Hygiene

Good oral hygiene is crucial once you undergo implant surgery to avoid infections. It would help if you gently brushed your teeth at least twice a day to prevent the building up of bacteria causing infections. Besides, floss regularly to get rid of food particles to places your brush can’t reach. Your teeth and gums will have a healthy environment when you do that.

2. Quit Smoking

Smoking increases the chances of implant failure because it lowers the ability of your body to fight infections. The specialist recommends completely quitting, but if you can’t, they advise you to take at least two months before you embark on smoking.

3. Be Mindful of What you eat

You should eat soft foods for three to four days after dental implants. Minimize or altogether avoid hard and crunchy foods. Instead, you should eat foods like yogurt. Smoothies, soups, scrambled egg, mashed potatoes, guacamole, oatmeal, cottage cheese, and applesauce.

4. Rinse Your Mouth Regularly

Rinse your mouth every day with a water solution or a dentist-approved mouthwash. Once the implantation takes place, you become more prone to infections. Rinsing your mouth will help you wash away bacteria, and you will minimize the chances of getting an infection.

5. See a Dentist Twice a Year

Ensure that you go for a checkup and cleaning at least two times a year. Your dentist will monitor your general oral health, and in case of any sign of infection, you will get treated before it worsens.

6. Minimize Your Sugar Intake

Sugar causes tooth decay and encourages the growth of bacteria. Sugar contains tiny particles that can hide within the surgery site leading to infection. So, if you cannot do without sugar, ensure you rinse your mouth after every meal to remove food remains.

7. Stick to Your Medication as Instructed by the Specialist

Usually, your dentist will prescribe certain antibiotics to prevent infections. Therefore, it’s crucial to finish the entire dose according to your oral surgeon’s instructions. Failure to do that can increase the risks of getting infections, and the treatment will be ineffective.

If an infection goes untreated for long, it can cause severe damage such as:

• Jawbone removal

• Septicemia

• Missing teeth

• Sinus infection

Before undertaking implant surgery, you should discuss your health conditions with your dentist. Some diseases like diabetes affect the healing process and make you prone to infections. Therefore, it will be best to disclose all vital information to your dentists to help them develop a treatment plan that reduces the chances of infections after the surgery.

Visit or contact Oakland Family Dental for all your dental concerns. The dentists at the hospital will restore your smile by providing a permanent solution to your teeth. They also have a variety of dental implant solutions like a full-arch implant, multi-tooth, and single-tooth solutions.

Final Remarks

Getting an infection should not prevent you from getting your dental implants. However, chances of getting infections are there, but very minimal once you follow your dentist’s instructions. So, get your implant today and enjoy your improved and beautiful smile.

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