Dental implant maintenance & hygiene care
The long-term success of dental implants as well as the longevity of natural teeth depend on maintenance of high levels of oral health and dental hygiene. Dental hygiene treatment for dental implants is delivered by an implant-trained dental hygienist & therapist who will help to maintain the health of your periodontal (gum) structures and dental implants.
If you have your own dental hygienist at your regular dental practice, we will work with them closely so that you can return to their care at the end of your dental implant treatment for long-term monitoring and maintenance purposes. During complex treatment, we may need to provide periodontal control by our in-house hygienist as part of implant treatment. To avoid the risk of unnoticed peri-implant/ periodontal gum disease emerging, we insist that the patient sees an implant-trained hygienist at regular intervals in the future.
Pre-implant periodontal assessment & control
There is very strong scientific evidence to show that poor plaque control and existing periodontal disease are high-risk factors that strongly affect the success and longevity of implant treatment. The periodontal disease is manifested with bleeding, pocketing, bone loss and gum shrinkage. Before starting implant treatment, we will carefully check and control any existing periodontal disease prior to embarking on your implant treatment.
The severity or extent of periodontal disease (gum disease) can sometimes be obscure and remain unnoticed even in patients who attend a hygienist for regular maintenance. Sometimes the periodontal condition can deteriorate rapidly, especially in medically compromised patients such as those with uncontrolled diabetes.
Dental implant preparation
As part of preparation for implant treatment, we will assess your periodontal condition and provide a course of periodontal treatment to control any existing issues if indicated. You will then be returned to your hygienist’s care for routine maintenance in the future. We do this because our hygienist and therapist team is specially trained in implant care and works closely together. However, in other instances when the periodontal treatment requires just a routine scale and polish, we will ask your dentist/hygienist to provide this for you as part of the implant treatment.
What to expect from a hygiene and implant maintenance appointment
1. Your teeth and gums will be assessed to determine their periodontal condition & health using bleeding and/or plaque indices, mobility and pocket depth measurements, when appropriate, together with identification of periodontal disease risk factors (e.g. uncontrolled diabetes, smoking, inadequate plaque control, heavy grinding and clenching, and medication). As part of this assessment, radiographs and X-rays may be required to check the bone levels around your standing teeth.
2. Your teeth will be cleaned and your periodontal structure (gum) treated with special equipment/ medication by specially implant-trained hygienist & therapists. This process will also include a scale and polish, but in some cases meticulous deep debridement and air polishing under local anaesthetic will be indicated. In case of advanced or severe periodontal disease, you may need to receive an extended course of periodontal appointments over a few weeks to help bring the disease process under control before embarking on implant reconstructive treatment.
3. Once your implant treatment has been completed, the hygienist’s role is to show you how to look after your teeth and implants so that they remain free from gum disease. We will give you instructions on how to look after and clean your implants properly. In complex full jaw reconstructions, we would ask you to see our hygienist after the completion of your treatment so that you can be shown the best tooth brushing technique and plaque control measures such as flossing and using interdental brushes.
The Benefits of Oral Hygiene & Dental Implant Maintenance:
Looking after your oral health and staying on top of your dental implant maintenance isn’t just about keeping your smile bright; it is essential for protecting your investment, your comfort, and your long-term health.
Here are the key benefits of maintaining a consistent hygiene routine and receiving dental implant-focused care:
- Protecting Your Natural Teeth and Gums: Regular maintenance and good periodontal health keep the soft tissues supporting your teeth firm and infection-free, drastically minimising your risk of unexpected tooth loss.
- Safeguarding Your Implants from Bone Loss: Keeping the tissues around your implants healthy prevents bacterial infections like peri-implantitis, ensuring the surrounding jawbone stays dense and strong rather than shrinking away.
- Long-Term Oral Wellness: Routine care keeps your remaining teeth cleaner, fresher, and healthier, giving you a comfortable bite and a confident, natural smile every single day.
- Defending Your Whole-Body Health: Excellent periodontal care does more than protect your mouth. By keeping oral inflammation under control, you actively reduce the risk of systemic disease progression, including links to cardiovascular conditions and diabetes.
