Cleaning and Maintenance of Dental Implants

Many dentists and patients ask for our recommendations for cleaning and maintaining dental implants – after all, we anticipate that these implants should last the rest of your life.

For patients – in most cases cleaning is no different to that of normal teeth – regular tooth brushing, flossing and the use of small bottle brushes (TePe brushes) is all that is required.
A good quality electric toothbrush is better than a normal toothbrush. Take time to clean the point where the crown goes under the gum. If space allows in between the necks of the crowns, use a small TePe brush dipped in some toothpaste or Corsodyl gel. Flossing is also very helpful – just a couple of times each week should be adequate.

For dentists – we recommend careful massage with a finger to check for any evidence of infection around the implant crown, and using a periodontal probe gently around the cuff of the implant crown. If you notice any bleeding or any fluid please send the patient back and we will assess if any treatment is necessary. You may have read about avoiding probing or cleaning around implants – this is vital for the implant systems we use and should be carried out regularly.

We encourage all patients to return to The Implant Centre for regular reviews, to assess the health of the implants, the care that patients are taking, and what changes or treatment may be necessary. Follow-up of your implants is vitally important, just look at the problems we are seeing from overseas implant clinics where no follow-up occurs.

All follow-up assessments, regular check-ups and any remedial treatments are free of charge for patients who subscribe to our annual Implant Care Plan and this is a great way to protect your investment.