I am proud to say that I have all my own teeth at the age of 65. While that may not sound unusual to some people, everyone in my family who is my age or older wears dentures. I always tell people that that flossing is the key to good dental health. I have arthritis in my hands, but I don't let it keep me from flossing every day. My trick is to use those little "flossers" you can buy at the drug store. They have plastic handles floss stretched out on top of the handle. These make flossing easier on days when my arthritis is acting up. I started this blog to let other people know that they can keep their teeth healthy into old age when they take care of them. If you have hand pain, find ways to make flossing easier, like I did.
Don't Let Hand Pain Keep You from Flossing
3 Tips For Preventing Infection After Receiving Your Dental Implants
Francis Miles
If you have recently received your new dental implants, you may wonder what you can do at home to keep the area clean and free from bacteria. If so, use one or more of the following tips for preventing infection after receiving your dental implants.
Avoid Using An Abrasive Toothpaste
Unlike your natural teeth, the surfaces of your dental implant teeth and their abutments are susceptible to scratching. If they do become scratched up, these exposed areas provide hiding places for bacteria to make their home and grow, possibly leading to an infection.
To keep from scratching your implants, avoid using any toothpaste that has an abrasive in them, including baking soda. Even a mild abrasive such as baking soda could cause small areas of damage that can harbor infection causing germs.
Floss Using A Back And Forth Motion
Along with using a gentle toothpaste, you should also remember to floss between both your natural teeth and the implant sites. However, you may need to change the method you use to floss.
If you normally place the floss between your teeth and pull upward, this could dislodge either the implant or the abutment. Even if dislodged only slightly, this creates a gap between the implant or abutment and your gums where bacteria can thrive.
Instead of pulling upward, use a soft sawing motion around your implants. When you are finished flossing, glide the floss out from between your teeth.
Cleanse The Area With A Water Pick and Salt Water
Especially when your implant sites are still fresh, your gums will be more susceptible to invasion by germs. Even if you brush and floss regularly, you may not be able to reach every nook and crevice between and under the implants.
One way you can ensure that these areas are thoroughly cleaned is to use a water pick device filled with one tablespoon of salt per quarter cup of water. The salt water will help clean away any food that is trapped between and beneath your implants, as well as kill any germs that are trapped there.
Using the above tips can help you ward off bacteria and keep your implant sites from becoming infected. However, if you have any concerns or notice that your gums have become swollen and sore, contact the dentist who performed your dental implant procedure to find out how they want to proceed with treating your symptoms. For more information, visit websites like http://silverstonefamilydental.com.
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