12606 A Lake Ridge Drive

Woodbridge, VA 22192

(703) 491-2131

Caring For Dental Implants

Caring For Dental Implants

Dental ImplantsMany people today suffer from missing teeth in their mouths and take a big hit in the confidence they have in their smile. But there's a dental solution that completely treats cases of missing teeth, and it's called dental implants.

At the dental office of Charles L. Sours, Jr., D.D.S., dental implants serve as the leading tooth replacement choice for patients with gaps in their smile who want a permanent solution. Implants even help preserve underlying bone strength for increased support for existing teeth, as jawbone strength naturally begins to deteriorate whenever there are less than 32 teeth in a patient's mouth. In fact, tooth loss can become a destructive dental cycle leading to more tooth loss as the underlying bone grows progressively weaker with each missing tooth!

Dental Implants: What Are They?

Dental implants are small, screw-shaped titanium posts that serve as the root part of missing teeth. These posts are placed in patients' mouths and allotted a healing period before being complemented with realistic-looking dental crowns on top of them that are specifically engineered to look exactly like the patients' normal teeth.

Implants boast a success rate that's extremely high-- and certainly higher than other dental restoration options available for full-tooth replacements.

Dental Implant Post-Op Care

Dental implants should last a lifetime. However, they can lose attachment in your gums if you practice extremely bad oral hygiene or they are subjected to powerful biting forces.

In the first case, poor oral hygiene can cause peri-implantitis, a bacterial infection that can wreak havoc on the success of your implants. Remember to brush your teeth bi-daily, floss once a day, and attend routine professional cleanings to give your implants the best chance at avoiding this infection.

If you're a habitual teeth grinder, you may also be putting your implants at risk for failure. If you represent one of the many Americans with implants who grind or clench their teeth, then you can also represent one of the many who've received a common solution in the form of nightguards. Nightguards can be custom-made to fit your oral profile and provide additional comfort to your remaining natural teeth and your implants so they aren't put in jeopardy from the pressure you exude during these often subconscious or unconscious grinding habits.

For more information on dental implants and what you should do to ensure their long-term success, give Dr. Sour's office a call today at (703) 491-2131 for the sweetest dental solutions in Woodbridge, VA!