Do You Have A Mixed Mouth? The Essential Oral Care Tips For People With Both Natural Teeth And Dental Implants

People with a mix of natural teeth and dental implants may find adopting the right oral care habits for both confusing. After all, natural teeth are worlds apart from their titanium implant counterparts, so it might seem like they would need very different care. In fact, the following tips may reveal that caring for natural teeth and dental implants is more similar than it is different. Keep reading to learn the most important facets of caring for a mixed mouth.

Brushing Habits

You can continue to use a fluoride toothpaste when you have dental implants, just as you would with a mouth full of natural teeth. The most important thing to remember when choosing toothpaste for a mixed mouth is to look for a low abrasiveness level. Toothpastes that are highly abrasive can scratch both the natural tooth enamel and the porcelain veneer of the dental implants. Over time, an abrasive toothpaste could even remove both natural enamel and porcelain veneer. 

Brush two times a day, using a soft bristle toothbrush. Medium or firm bristles can cause scratches on both natural enamel and dental implants. Manual toothbrushes, electric toothbrushes, or sonic toothbrushes are all acceptable as long as the bristles are soft. Just as with completely natural teeth, toothbrushes used on a mixed mouth should be replaced every three to four months (or whenever frayed.)

Flossing Habits

People with mixed mouths may find that a wide dental tape (a wide unwaxed type of dental floss) works best in any areas of the mouth with implants, since implants tend to have more space between them than natural teeth do. The wider floss is able to reach all areas of the gums around the implants very effectively.

However, for the areas where natural teeth are side by side, a thinner waxed dental floss may be easier to maneuver between the teeth. You may not have to resort to two types of floss in most cases, though. As long as the floss can fit completely around both natural teeth and implants to clean the gums, either kind of floss is fine. The most important thing about floss is just to use it a minimum of once a day. 

Your dentist will give you specific instructions regarding oral health habits once your new implants are installed. If you're very cognizant of proper implant care, your dental implants can last a very long time. For more information, contact Vegas Dental Experts or a similar location.

Share