Get your cleanings from skilled hygienists and ensure dental implant issues are discovered and addressed early
Dental implants have a high success rate and will last for years, making them a superior solution for missing teeth for many patients. However, dental implants do need to be cared for properly in order to deliver the expected performance. If you have dental implants, it is vital that you visit a dental office that can provide the specialized care you need. At California Dental Group, we have an intimate understanding of the dental implant process from start to finish. Not only do we have expert dentists who can assist with the initial placement of your dental implant crowns, we also have gentle, skilled hygienists who can help with the lifelong care and maintenance of your implants. Here are 3 specific reasons to visit California Dental Group for care and cleanings of dental implants.
We Won’t Damage Your Implants
Just like natural teeth, dental implants can develop plaque and tartar buildup. While plaque can be removed at home, tartar cannot. You will have to get a professional dental cleaning to get the tartar scraped away. Unfortunately, a poorly trained dental hygienist may inadvertently damage your dental implant during tartar removal by using the wrong tools. Stainless steel scalers are safe for use on natural teeth, but can damage the titanium portion of a dental implant during supragingival tartar removal. Gold plated or reinforced plastic instruments should be used instead. Also, ultrasonic scalers should not be used as this technology could cause the implant to heat up and possibly damage or kill surrounding bone. At California Dental Group, we will keep your dental implant in excellent condition using tools that are appropriate for the job.
Our Hygienists Know How to Assess Implants
Often, dental hygienists note possible signs of cavities or other problems during routine dental cleanings and refer these problems to the dentist for further investigation during the exam portion of the visit. If you visit a dental office where implants are not fully understood, the hygienist will probably not be equipped to notice the clinical markers of peri-implantitis, which include excessive plaque and tartar accumulation, inflammation of peri-implant tissues, and an increase in peri-implant probing depths. They may even damage your peri-implant tissues by probing gum pockets too forcefully. At California Dental Group, on the other hand, our hygienists know the proper techniques to use when probing gum pockets and assessing tissues around dental implants. They won’t raise a false alarm about deep gum pockets around implants in the aesthetic zone, and they won’t hurt your gums either. Instead, they will provide gentle and meticulous services and make sure any possible issues receive prompt attention from the dentist.
We Provide Expert Home Care Recommendations
The oral hygiene activities that you do at home have a significant impact on the health of gum and bone tissues around your dental implants. At California Dental Group, we can provide the expert home care instructions you need to take the best possible care of your dental implants. For example, we can demonstrate cross over flossing technique, which should be used on implants in the aesthetic zone to aid in removal of plaque bacteria and food particles from the gum pockets on all sides of the implant.