One of the advantages of having dental implants is they are ideally designed to stay in place for the rest of your life. However, the success and longevity of your dental implants depends largely upon how you treat them, just like the longevity of your natural teeth depends upon how you treat them. Here are a few tips that will help you ensure your dental implants, or artificial teeth, last for years to come.

#1 Clean Your Implants On A Daily Basis

Just like your natural teeth, your artificial or implanted teeth need to be cleaned on a daily basis. When you brush your teeth, make sure you scrub all sides of your artificial teeth thoroughly. Brush them just like you would your natural teeth. 

You also need to floss around your artificial teeth. Flossing your teeth is the best way to remove the plaque that can build up around your teeth. This is especially important when you have an artificial tooth implanted in your mouth. There is generally a microscopic space between the implant post and your gums and bone. Although you may not be able to see this space, bacteria and plaque generally have no trouble finding it.

If bacteria and plaque do get into this little space near your dental implants, they can infect your gum and lead to gum disease. Gum disease can weaken your gum and bone and damage the support your dental implant post needs in order to last in your mouth.

#2 Get Regular Dental Cleanings

If you have dental implants in your mouth, getting regular dental cleanings becomes even more important. Dental cleanings will help get rid of any plaque and bacteria that gets into the microscopic openings around your implants. 

Most insurance companies will cover regular cleaning every six months; make sure you take advantage of this coverage, especially since you have dental implants. If you are able to afford some extra cleanings out of pocket, you may want to consider going in every three months instead. Extra cleaning will only improve the health of your mouth and your dental implants.

#3 Watch What You Put Into Your Body

Finally, if you want your dental implants to last for years to come, you need to be careful about what you put into your body. You should avoid smoking, as smoking can be detrimental to the long-term health of your teeth, even your artificial ones. Additionally, you should avoid recreational drugs, which can also damage your teeth. These unhealthy habits can destroy your dental health and impact the health of your dental implants too. Talk to your dentist, like Michele A Bibeau DDS, for more help.