While dental implants are much easier to look after than other kinds of restorations such as dentures, this does not mean that once they are in and fused with your jawbone, you can forget all about them.

Dental implants are made of titanium, a strong, lightweight material that does not rust or corrode. The porcelain crowns cannot decay. But there is one mortal enemy of dental implants and that is gum disease. Gum disease is caused by a build-up of plaque, which gives off acids that attack the gums and then the bone underneath the gums if it is left uncontrolled.

When this happens to dental implants, we call the condition peri-implantitis. It is something you want to avoid and the best way to do this is to have a diligent oral healthcare routine at home.

When you have your dental implants fitted at David Madruga in Marylebone, you will be given specific instructions on how to take care of them and what your oral healthcare routine should now be. It is important that you follow these instructions.

Part of the instructions are to come back for regular hygienist sessions to remove plaque, and check-ups to make sure all is well with your dental implants.

It can sneak up on you

Peri-implantitis can sneak up on you, just like gum disease. You may not register any pain, or feel any unusual lumps or bumps with your tongue during the early stages. But by the time you do feel pain or can feel anything with your tongue, you could be in trouble.

Check-ups

At David Madruga, we will keep an eye on your dental implants with examinations that will include the use of x-rays so that we can see what is going on under the gums.

If there is a problem, and we catch it early, we can normally solve it with some minor remedial treatment.

We may update your healthcare instructions after each check-up, so please stick to the new instructions.

If you stay true to your cleaning routines and check-up schedules, there’s no reason why your dental implants should not last for at least 15 years, and maybe for decades.