If you’ve Googled ‘tooth implants’ or ‘dental implants news’ recently, you may have noticed a spate of articles about peri-implantitis, a bacterial infection that can occur around dental implants, causing gum inflammation and, in extreme cases, bone loss.

Is peri-implantitis, as some media sources have suggested, a ‘ticking time bomb’ or can tooth implant patients rest easy about their future oral health?

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

What is peri-implantitis?

Peri-implantitis is a bacterial infection that occurs when dental implants have not been properly cleaned and maintained. For some people, there is a belief that dental implants are all but indestructible and, because they’re not real teeth, they don’t need proper dental care.

How to care for your dental implants

Tooth implants in Lancaster should be treated with the same care and attention as your natural teeth. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss or use special interdental brushes, and rinse your mouth with mouthwash twice daily. You should also attend regular dental check-ups – typically twice a year – and see the hygienist for a deep clean as and when your dentist recommends.

Again, as with your natural teeth, it is especially important to focus on cleaning the area where your dental implants meet your gums, as this is where food can get trapped, creating a breeding ground for the bacteria that causes gum disease and tooth decay.

Even in patients without tooth implants, a poor oral health routine and poor dental care can cause infections, gum disease, tooth loss and bone loss. Dental implants are prone to the same problems.

How to prevent peri-implantitis

Peri-implantitis is commonly seen in individuals who have continued to smoke or taken up smoking after their tooth implants were fitted, which goes against dental advice. Many reported cases of peri-implantitis also seem to be in people who chose to have their dental implants placed abroad and were not given detailed after-care instructions.

What the media reports of peri-implantitis do highlight is that you should carry out comprehensive research before having tooth implants. Find out as much as possible about your dentist and their experience, the procedure, your treatment plan, and your after-care, both immediately after the implants are fitted and throughout your future. Based on our extensive experience of fitting tooth implants at our Lancaster practice, patients are at low risk of peri-implantitis if they focus on life-long oral health and follow their dentist’s advice and recommendations. Peri-implantitis may only be a ticking time bomb if you light the fuse by neglecting your teeth.

The benefits of dental implants in Lancaster have been widely documented in clinical studies. They help bone density and restore the form and function associated with your real teeth. They are well tolerated by the majority of patients and have an exceptional success rate when placed by an experienced dentist.

Contact our Lancaster specialists

If you would like to know more about tooth implants in Lancaster or caring for your dental implants in Lancaster, call us at Viva Dental practice based in Lancaster on 01524 735 431 to book an initial consultation.