Dental Hygiene in Wimpole Street

How to properly care for dental implants
Implants restore normal chewing ability despite tooth loss. Implant-supported dentures are not only firmly anchored but also result in aesthetic and long-lasting restorations. Whether you benefit from your dental implants for a lifetime, however, also depends on you: only through thorough care will your implants remain intact.

Bacteria: risk for implant and general health
The metabolic products of bacteria can attack not only teeth but also implants. Germs can settle between the implant and the gums, invading the body from there, and in the worst case increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and diabetes. To fight the bacteria, the body reacts with gum and bone inflammation. This also endangers the stability of the implant. You can prevent this by maintaining your implants well.

Toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss: maintain implants properly at home
To thoroughly remove bacteria it is best to spend two to three minutes twice a day on your oral hygiene. Although the care of teeth and dentures is similar, implants have some special features that you should consider. Meanwhile, there is a wide range of dental care products that unsettle some patients. The range of toothbrushes alone has multiplied in recent years, above all due to the large selection of electric toothbrushes. Although good results can be achieved even with soft manual toothbrushes, electric toothbrushes have proven to be advantageous in many tests thanks to the fast rotation of the brush head and the low-pressure application — even with implants.

When choosing the right toothpaste, gels without overly abrasive particles are recommended as they do not threaten to reduce the gums around the implants. In order to remove bacteria from the interdental area, dental floss should be used. For implants, there are special products: so-called "superfloss" differs from other products with a stiffened end and a fluffy middle part, thus ensuring a more thorough cleaning of the implant restoration. For larger spaces, interdental brushes are also ideal. They should ideally be made without metal to protect the implant material.

We will also give you tips for your individual dental and implant care, because we know the specifics of your teeth and your individual risk of periodontitis.

Clean dentures thanks to professional implant cleaning
You can check yourself whether your efforts bear fruit: it's a bad sign if you discover deposits on the implants, the gums look dark red or begin to bleed. Bacteria may already be in the process of damaging your teeth and implants. Visiting us will ensure that we can examine you and possibly recommend a professional implant cleaning to improve your oral hygiene.

Professional implant cleaning
Bacteria like to settle in hard to reach places such as interdental spaces and molars. A professional implant cleaning helps to remove plaque and tartar there. It is similar to professional teeth cleaning, but special equipment is used to protect the implant surfaces. Your regular visit has another advantage: we can recognise any inflammation in the early stages. This makes it possible to intervene in time, to improve oral hygiene and preserve your implants. Thoroughly cleaning teeth and implants is always worthwhile: with good care your implants can last a lifetime.

Diabetes and oral health: what should I consider?
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that is getting more common — the number of patients between 1980 and 2008 rose to 350 million worldwide. Diabetes patients are more susceptible to periodontal disease and root caries, and may not be suitable for dental implants.

Diabetes: a complex disease
It is well known that diabetes is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, eye, kidney and nerve damage as well as diabetic foot syndrome. However, it is relatively unknown that diabetics also have a greater risk of developing periodontal disease. Periodontal disease in turn influences the glycemic attitude of the patient and makes it more difficult to manage. Doctors now believe the development of diabetes can even be due to periodontitis.

Dental implants in diabetes
Patients suffering from diabetes often cannot be treated with dental implants. This is because the disease disturbs osseointegration, the process of the implant healing in the jawbone. Only if a direct contact between the implant surface and the bone arises can it heal stably and without inflammation. In order to achieve a permanent supply of implants despite tooth loss, the dentist and GP (or diabetologist) must work closely together.

To minimise the risk that the implant will not hold, the patient's blood sugar level must first be optimally adjusted. Before, during and after the tooth operation, a thorough disinfection of the oral cavity is particularly important. This often works best in combination with antibiotics. This allows the dentist to reduce the risk of infection and thus implant loss, and to enable dental implants for diabetics as well.

Diabetes: what can I do for healthy teeth?
Prevention of inflammation of the dental bed plays an important role in dental care in diabetic patients. You should therefore attend regular check-ups. In addition, we recommend a professional dental cleaning that meets the needs of diabetic patients. This also reduces the risk of root caries.

But as a diabetes patient, what can you do yourself to prevent damage to the teeth and gums? Above all, it is important to remove plaque with brushing and a fluoride toothpaste twice a day. In addition, floss or interdental brushes should be used. Patients can supplement their care routine with mouthwash that counteracts inflammation and reduces the build up of dental plaque.

Conclusion
Due to the interaction between diabetes and diseases of the teeth and gums, dental care and proper oral hygiene at home are important. This way, tooth decay and periodontitis can be prevented.