Helpful Care Tips To Remember When Getting Dental Implants

Dental implants are often used to fill in gaps between teeth. They look like real teeth and can give you a complete smile again. If you're seriously considering them as a restorative option, these care tips are important to remember. 

Quit Smoking

One of the worst habits you could have when contemplating dental implants is smoking. The effects of smoke can actually turn your implants yellow, and then you would have to go in for additional treatments that cost you a lot of money.

All of this can be avoided if you simply quit smoking. If your cravings are really bad, there are plenty of techniques you can try. Cognitive behavioral therapy and nicotine patches, for example, can help curb your urges to smoke. Just try to not smoke weeks prior to this procedure and then never again once the implants are placed. 

Brush Thoroughly

Even though dental implants are not real teeth, they will still change colors if you fail to brush them. For this reason, brushing implants thoroughly should be a huge priority you have after every meal. You don't just want to use a regular toothbrush either. Rather, you'll want to use an interdental brush.

Since it has a small head and handle, you'll be able to effectively get in between implants for thorough and easy cleaning. As long as you brush your implants regularly each day, they'll look white for a long time and you won't have to be self-conscious when smiling.

Switch to a Liquid Diet

After implants are placed in your jawbone, they need time to fully set. Thus, you need to change up your diet until this healing period is over. A liquid diet will help you get through this recovery a lot faster.

There are many liquids that dentists recommend after getting dental implants, such as protein shakes and smoothies. These liquids are full of nutrients and will leave you feeling full. You may also want to incorporate things like yogurt, oatmeal, and juice into your diet. Then, once your implants have had time to fully heal, you can resume a normal diet. 

Even if you have missing teeth, you don't have to feel self-conscious about your smile thanks to dental implants. They come with all sorts of advantages today, and you'll be able to take advantage of them for a long time as long as you know about proper dental implant maintenance.

For more information about dental implants, contact a local dentist.