About 178 million Americans have at least a missing tooth, and many others have lost several or all. Leaving such gaps can compromise your chewing ability and affect your facial symmetry, lowering your self-confidence. Most people turn to dental implants to avoid such issues. The all in 4 dental implants solution suits people who have lost several teeth. It’s good to note that using these implants requires different care from natural teeth to promote longevity and avoid gum damage. Here is a detailed guide about all on 4 dental implants.
What Are All On 4 Implants?
The all on 4 are full arch dental implants that replace an entire row of bottom or top teeth. Rather than having a different implant for all four teeth, the dentist surgically inserts four titanium posts into the jaw bone as the anchor. It creates a complete bridge that replaces several teeth at once. This way, the implants look like your natural teeth and stays in your mouth permanently. All on 4 dental implants cost relatively lower than the traditional method for a patient who needs fewer jaw implants. When done correctly, the implant has a success rate of 98.1%. The all on 4 implants offer the following benefits.
You Will Get Immediate Results
After getting all on 4 dental implants in Los Angeles, you will notice some differences immediately. The process restores your chewing ability, comfort, and teeth stability right away.
It’s a Long-lasting Solution
All on 4 dental implants offer a permanent solution, and when well taken care of, they can serve you for 20 years. You won’t require frequent fitting sessions after the surgery since the implant doesn’t get loose or uncomfortable over time.
You Get a Full Set of New Teeth in a Single Day
The dentist will install a whole set of four teeth in a single visit. You only need to plan for a few follow-up visits. Either way, your mouth becomes fully functional immediately after the surgery.
Improved Appearance
Once you visit Southland Dental Care, we will match the implant with the exact shade of your teeth. The implant will also function and feel like real teeth, and you won’t even be able to tell the difference between them.
You Can Enjoy Your Favorite Foods Again
After getting all on 4 dental implants from a Los Angeles dental implants specialist, it improves your overall eating habits. The dentures provide more chew force to break down solid edibles. You can thus enjoy your favorite foods with no discomforts.
It Improves Your Comfort and Confidence
Once you lose your teeth, the jawbone begins to deteriorate and can cause changes in your face. Additionally, you are at a higher risk of contracting periodontal illnesses and other bacterial-induced infections. Luckily the all on 4 dental implant restores your mouth’s natural state.
Importance to Keep Dental Implants Clean
Like your natural teeth, you need to remove food build-up from your dental implants after each meal. When neglected, debris on the denture can decompose and form plaque and attract bacteria. As a result, you can easily lose the bone around the implant area, which loosens up the implant. Keep in mind that the implant depends on the surrounding tissues for support. You will then begin to experience the following symptoms.
- Fever
- Bleeding gums after brushing your teeth
- Bad breath
- Purse around the implant
- Throbbing pain
- Swelling gum
- Loose dental implant
- Peri-implantisis
The main role of cleaning your implants often is to prevent infections. As a result, they will serve you longer. Another importance to keep dental implants clean is that you will look, and feel better, which enhances the overall quality of your life.
Top Five Methods of Cleaning Dental Implants
One of the basic principles of keeping dental implants clean is brushing your teeth after meals. This way, you will remove any debris on the dentures eliminating bacteria breeding ground. Here are various approaches that you can take in cleaning the all-on 4 implants:
- Floss under the dental bridge
- Use water and non-alcohol antibacterial mouth rinse to rinse your mouth
- Use an electric toothbrush
- Brush your tongue and clean inside the cheeks to eliminate bacteria and odors
- Visit your dentist after every two to three months for professional teeth cleaning
Required Tools and Items for Cleaning Full Arch Dental Implants
You should always use soft and flexible tools while cleaning dental implants to prevent injuring the sensitive tissue around the implant. Note that if you injure the gum and leave a cut, it can cause discomfort, attract germs, and cause infections. When this happens, it might irritate the implants causing undesirable effects in the future.
Once you get injured while cleaning dental implants, you should seek immediate medical attention. There are also several cleaning tools that you can use on the all on 4 dental implants. Some of them include:
Toothpick to Dislodge Tiny Food Particles After a Meal
Go for soft, flexible, and strong enough toothpicks that don’t easily break inside an opening in the bridge. You should also use toothpicks very carefully to avoid damaging your gums. To use a toothpick in the right way, insert one pointed end between the teeth and gently lift the food particles out without pointing into the gums.
A floss
A floss is another handy tool that will help you clean between your teeth, prevent gum disease, and reduce bad breath. Remember that brushing your teeth doesn’t clear off the plaque, and it’s only through flossing that you can prevent the formation of tartar. The American Dental Association suggests that you floss your teeth not less than once every day. There are various types of dental floss, but super floss works well for bridges, gaps, and braces.
Beware that improper flossing can damage your teeth. The correct way to floss the all on 4 dental implants is by wrapping the floss around your middle fingers and leave around two inches between the floss and your fingers.
Next, gently move the floss up and down and ensure that it rubs against the implant and crown. Remember to also floss at the base of the tooth. Each time you clean a section of the teeth, use a different floss side on the next area to prevent spreading bacteria or food particles.
The implant doesn’t adhere to the gums as strong as the natural teeth, so always be gentle while flossing. When you floss hard, you might break the seal that holds the gum and implant, attracting harmful bacteria.
Mouth Rinse Product
After getting the all on 4 dental implants, you need to rinse your teeth with mouthwash to remove debris on the denture or bridge. Use an antibacterial mouthwash twice a day to prevent the growth of tartar. Even better, you will end up with a fresher breath. Avoid mouthwash that contains alcohol or teeth whitening compounds. Note that alcohol makes your mouth dry, interfering with its natural capacity to fight off infections.
End Tuft Brush
The unique design of the end tuft brush makes it an ideal option to remove plaques around the implants and other hard-to-reach areas. This tiny brush will help you clean even between the implant bridge and the gum opening interface. End tuft brushes are gentle and come in varying handle lengths, widths, and shapes, so you will likely find an option that matches your needs.
To use this brush in the right way, place it where the gum edge meets the implant. Move the brush slowly alongside the gum and apply light pressure to prevent damages. Trace the curved gum line along with the tooth and move the brush around in a circular motion to thoroughly clean between the teeth.
A small Brush to Clean Under the Bridge
Get an extra soft small brush like the proxy brush to clean the spaces in between your teeth. The brush should be small enough to clean the area around and beneath the bridge easily. If you have trouble using floss, a small brush is a great alternative.
Rubber Tip
A rubber tip is another efficient tool that can help you clear plaque under the bride’s surface. Rubber tipping stimulates blood flow that promotes gum health. First, hold the rubber tip at a 45 degrees angle and guide it between your teeth. Secondly, allow it to rest on the gum, apply some pressure, and massage it lightly in a circular motion for about ten seconds. This way, you will prevent illnesses like gum disease, gingivitis, and periodontitis.
An Electric Toothbrush
The electric toothbrush can be very effective in cleaning dental implants. These toothbrushes produce some mild vibrations that can help prolong the all on 4 implants’ lifespan. Such vibrations efficiently remove plaque build-up between the teeth and even result in lavage formation, some streams of water that help clean off any remaining build-up.
Toothpaste
You will need a non-abrasive tartar control toothpaste to care for the all on 4 dental implants. However, keep away from any toothpaste with abrasive components, sodium floride, baking soda, or the stain removing ingredients. Such elements can damage your dental implant.
Effective Steps on How to Clean All On 4 Dental Implants
The steps involved in dental implants cleaning are very systematic, and you need to follow all of them for thorough cleaning. Once you visit a Los Angeles dental implants specialist, they will guide you on the best care procedures for your new implant. Still, make sure that you ask questions and seek any clarifications to ensure that you can properly take care of your new set of teeth. You should always clean the inside of the surface, around the gums, and the dental implants. If you are still following how to keep dental implants clean, here are a few steps that you can use.
Start by Taking Out Loose Food Materials Between Your Teeth
The first step is to remove any food particles stuck on your implant, the gum, between your teeth, or the bridge. Ensure that you eliminate all the substances that stick in the dental crevices. The best tool for this task is a soft, high-quality toothpick.
Use the Super Floss
Next, use a super floss to eliminate bacteria or any remaining food particles. The floss’s flexibility enables you to reach spaces that the toothpick or brush can’t reach. Therefore it’s a good idea that you floss your teeth at least once daily. For better results, consider flossing twice or thrice in a day.
Preferably, floss your teeth before going to bed. Note that while sleeping, there is usually less saliva in your mouth to wash away the food particles so they can accumulate and attract bacteria. If you can’t see the debris well, use a magnifying mirror and floss in a room with proper lighting.
Brush the Teeth
Now use a small and round toothbrush to clean in between the teeth. Brush close to the denture and the gum to clear out all the debris. For rigorous cleaning, ensure that you use an electric toothbrush. One good thing about this toothbrush is that it comes with pressure and sensitivity control. Therefore, you can set it to be gentle on the gum and rigorous on the plaque.
Go for a toothbrush that rotates in both directions, and it will help keep the plaque at bay. According to research, people who use electric toothbrushes have healthier gums and better overall health compared to those using the manual toothbrush. That said, ensure that you brush your teeth at least two times daily. Since the teeth on the bridge could be acrylic, always use a non-abrasive toothpaste.
Use the Rubber Tip Gum Stimulator
The next step is to use a rubber tip to eliminate any remaining plaque on and around the bridge.
Clean Your Tongue
Note that you can leave food particles on the tongue after brushing your teeth, making the cleaning process less effective. The tongue also harbors bacteria that can quickly spread to the teeth. Once you brush the teeth, proceed to the tongue and clean out any debris on the surface.
Rinse Your Mouth Thoroughly
Finally, use a non-alcoholic mouth rinse to clean up your mouth. Rising helps in removing all the substances in your mouth dislodged by the rigorous cleaning process. Move the mouth rinse from cheek to cheek, under the tongue, and the bridge to remove any remaining food substances. It’s also a good idea that you use a water pick after every meal. This tool contains three-quarters water, a quarter mouth rinse and is very helpful in removing food particles from your teeth using a stream of water.
Proper Maintenance Tips for All On 4 Dental Implants in Los Angeles
The all on 4 dental implants require extra care besides cleaning. Here are the recommended tips by the best dental implants dental practice in Los Angeles:
Attend Regular Dental Checkups
Ensure that you visit your dentist after every three months. The dentist has an array of sophisticated tools that they can use to assess the implant to ensure that it’s in the right state. Also, your dentist will help remove any stubborn plaque that the normal brushing and flossing could have missed out on. In addition to cleaning, the dentist will look for complications with the all on 4 implants and fix them before they become more intense.
Eat the Proper Food
Avoid eating very hard and sticky food since it can damage your natural teeth calling for more implants. Also, eating hard food can compromise the structure of the all on 4 dental implants and make them weaker. Further, stay away from too much alcohol and smoking since they can increase gum sensitivity.
The Bottom Line
If you have lost your teeth and need a permanent and natural-looking solution, consider the all on 4 dental implants. The all on 4 dental implants cost reasonably, and they will help restore your smile and confidence. That said, you need to follow a very specific cleaning regime for all on 4 dental implants as outlined above. Pay more attention to the gums area around the implant since food easily gets trapped at the base. If you need professional help with your teeth and still wonder where to go for all on 4 dental implants in Los Angeles, consider Southland Dental Care. Contact us today for a consultation.
See also: Dental Implants Los Angeles