Since they’re not “real” teeth, the idea of flossing with dental implants may sound silly at first. Why bother protecting these posts when they can’t even decay? Don’t be so quick to dismiss, though; dental floss is quite vital to maintaining implants. You’ll thus need a proper flossing habit to ensure your restorations last long. With that said, here’s a primer on why (and how) to floss with dental implants from your local Temple dentist.
Why Do Implants Require Flossing?
Dental implants may lack enamel, but you should still floss between them. They won’t work well unless you sport a healthy and strong smile.
You see, dental implants depend on good oral health. The surrounding teeth, gums, and jaw must be strong for the posts to remain stable. When your grin is in bad shape, nearby cavities or gum disease could destroy the tissues that support your restorations; you’d then suffer implant failure.
The good news is that daily flossing (along with brushing) protects dental implants. This habit removes plaque and harmful bacteria from your mouth, thus reducing the risk of oral issues.
How Do You Floss Around Them?
You can’t floss between dental implants like you would natural teeth. Instead, you need to follow a special method that consists of the following steps:
- Thread Slowly: You must first thread the floss between the posts and your gums. To do so, try using a floss threader or similar tools.
- Hold & Slide: When flossing between dental implants, hold the string between your fingers in each hand and slide it up and down.
- Try an Oral Irrigator: As necessary, use an oral irrigator when normal floss is too tricky. This device uses pressured water to loosen food and plaque around your implants.
- Be Gentle: Don’t simply push your floss into the gum pocket when flossing near an implant. At most, just leave the string above that area.
Why Should You Be Cautious?
As durable as dental implants are, you must be cautious when flossing around them. You might damage your new teeth otherwise.
What’s most important is not to be overly aggressive. If you floss too intensely, you might break the barrier between an implant post and the underlying bone. That would let bacteria reach into your jaw and potentially cause a bone infection.
Flossing with dental implants will keep your restored smile safe. So, make sure to adopt the habit as outlined above!
About the Author
Dr. Richard Fossum is a dentist based in Temple, TX, having earned his DDS from the UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry. With years of dental work under his belt, he has advanced experience and skill in preventive, cosmetic, and restorative oral treatments. That means he and his team know just how to help your ailing grin! Today, Dr. Fossum practices at his self-titled clinic and is reachable on his website and by phone at (254)-831-4397.