Helping New Teeth Work: Tips on Flossing with Dental Implants

Since they aren’t “real” teeth, it’s easy to think dental implants don’t need much care. Can’t you simply clean them (and the rest of your smile) with some daily brushing? However, the truth is that you should also floss between these sturdy metal posts; they could fail early otherwise. Your Colleyville dentist will even share the proper method for this extra cleaning. To that end, here’s a primer on flossing with dental implants and four great tips on doing so.

Why Floss Around Your Implant Posts?

If dental implants don’t get cavities or infections, why should you floss between them? The answer is simple: they depend on good oral health.

You see, implant posts can’t thrive just anywhere. They’ll only work when the surrounding teeth, gums, and jaw are healthy and stable. Nearby cavities or gum disease would destroy the tissues supporting them, resulting in an early implant failure.

Daily flossing (along with brushing) would reduce the risk to your implants. This habit gets rid of excess plaque and harmful bacteria, so it makes oral problems less likely. Your new teeth would then stand a better chance of lasting.

Four Steps to Flossing Dental Implants

Dental implants may look natural, but that doesn’t mean you can floss between them like regular teeth. They require a special method to avoid complications and side effects. With that said, follow these four steps when flossing implants:

1. Thread the Floss: Unlike natural teeth, implants require that you thread the floss between themselves and your gums. Make sure to do so by using a floss threader or similar tools.
2. Hold & Slide It Properly: As you floss between your implants, hold the string between your fingers in each hand and slide it up and down.
3. Try an Oral Irrigator: Should normal floss be too tricky, opt for an oral irrigator instead. Its pressurized water spray will loosen food and plaque from around your implants.
4. Be Careful: While flossing, don’t push your floss into the gum pocket. Doing so could break the seal attaching your gums to your implants, exposing areas to harmful bacteria.

Flossing with dental implants may seem annoying, but it’s worth doing to keep your restored smile. So, remember the tips above and help your implant posts work well.

About the Practice

The DFW Dental Implant Center is based in Colleyville, TX. Led by Drs. Branberg and Cancemi, our practice makes smile restoration the highest priority and goal. That means we tailor our implant, cosmetic, and general dentistry to suit your mouth and its unique oral needs! By doing so, our team ensures you get the best possible results for your grin. For more details or to book a visit, please reach us on our website or by phone at (817)-440-7133.