Implant maintenance

Dental implants are an excellent modern method for replacing your missing teeth, allowing you to eat and smile without worry, and can last a lifetime with appropriate maintenance.  The long-term success of dental implants depends on regular care and maintenance to minimise the build-up of bacteria, necessary as this causes gum disease around the implants, damaging the jaw bones and potentially causing loss of your implant(s).

We recommend that all patients attend for cleaning around their implants every three months, meaning that your implants will be kept as clean as possible and that any problems that may arise will be caught early. We also ensure that all of your other teeth are cleaned and bacteria is removed, both above and below the gums.

This important because it is currently thought that for implants that are not regularly maintained:

·       around 50% suffer from gum irritation (peri-implant mucositis, a precursor to gum disease)

·       around 25% develop gum disease (peri-implantitis).

Guided biofilm therapy

To help maintain your teeth we use the latest technology in the form of guided biofilm therapy, a systematic approach to looking after your teeth and implants. The video on this page will help you to understand the process involved in this cleaning

What to expect at your maintenance appointment:

·       Careful measurements will be taken to assess the health of your implants
·       Oral hygiene instruction will be reinforced to make sure that you are doing everything possible to look after your implants
·       Gentle professional cleaning will be provided utilising the latest air-flow polishing techniques, not requiring local anaesthesia
·       If deterioration of your implants is identified further treatment will be provided to attempt to control the gum problems.