Dental implants are a great smile restoration treatment that is intended to last for a very long time. However, the actual lifespan of an implant has everything to do with you. How a person takes care of their implants will directly extend or shorten the life of the implant. Given the investment involved with this oral treatment, it is essential to take care of your implants correctly. 

Enhance At-Home Regimen

Implants are a restorative option often applied for people who have suffered from tooth loss. Tooth loss can arise for a variety of uncontrollable reasons, but commonly it is the result of poor oral health practices. If you happen to fall in the latter category, it is not enough to follow the same at-home regimen you did before the implants were installed. 

Instead, you should ensure you are brushing your teeth regularly, flossing after each meal, and rinsing with mouthwash to help clear bacteria from the mouth. If you fail to follow this regimen, you will increase your risk for periodontal disease, which will ultimately cause the implants to fail.

Monitor your Diet

Dental implants will give you more than a brand-new smile. This addition will also introduce a new diet into your lifestyle. People with implants should avoid, or at the very least, minimize foods that are especially hard. Chewing ice or eating meat on the bone, such as bone-in chicken or ribs, comes with the risk of you biting down on the bone and cracking the implant. 

Sticky foods, such as caramel, should also be avoided. These foods can adhere to the surface of the tooth and tug at the implant, which over time, can cause it to loosen and fail. 

Wear Protection

Always wear protection if you participate in sports or any other physical activity. Again, implants are a go-to option because of their increased durability over other dental fixtures, such as dentures, but remember that they are not as strong as natural teeth.

For this reason, impact from a ball or even a head-on collision with another player on the field can result in implant failure. Please speak with your oral health care provider about having a custom mouthguard designed so that you can wear it whenever you are engaged in physical activity to protect your implants. 

If you need more help determining how to take care of your dental implants, speak with your oral health provider for assistance.