preventive dental care hooper dentistryProtect Your Dental Implants in Virginia Beach

Each year, 15 million dental implants are placed worldwide. Why all the growing popularity? It’s because they function just like regular teeth and have a long lifespan. When they are installed by a certified periodontist, your implants should give you no issue down the road.
Just like our natural teeth, if you don’t care for your implant, there could be a problem later on. Peri-implant inflammation occurs around the implant and leads to preventable complications. In the end, it’s possible for your implant to fail if you don’t care for it properly.
High Risk
You are at more of a risk of this happening if you:
• Smoke – you have a better chance of having gum disease
• Don’t practice good oral hygiene
• Grind your teeth
• Have an autoimmune disorder or diabetes
Peri-implantitis isn’t usually painful, so there are many people that won’t know it’s occurring. Early signs include bleeding gums or purple-looking gums. There might also be an abundance of plaque build-up, puffy gums or pus.
Treatment
The long-term goal is to stop the bone loss and maintain a healthy implant. Sometimes, antibiotics are all that is needed. In severe cases, surgery is also an option. The dentist cuts out any infected tissue or uses lasers to save the failing implant. This is a great way to correct implant issues without the use of a scalpel or stitches.
The key is to talk to your dentist at the first sign of trouble. It’s much easier to correct problems early on than as the implant is failing.
To protect yourself from having a failed implant, be sure you maintain the highest level of oral care possible. This includes brushing and flossing as directed and eating a nutritious diet. You have the power to make your dental implants in Virginia Beach last for many years into the future.
If you are unsure about any problem with the implant, don’t hesitate to reach out to your dentist. Their main priority is to ensure that your teeth are happy and healthy, so they are always available to answer your questions, even if you think they are silly.