Can You Still Get Gum Disease After Getting Dental Implants?

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Once you’ve gotten dental implants in Deerwood, MN, you are still at risk of developing gum disease. It doesn’t just disappear because you now have an implant. And if you don’t get it treated right away, you could lose your implant.

What Is Peri-Implantitis?

Peri-implantitis happens when bacteria build up on your gum tissue and the bone surrounding your dental implant.

The Two Stages of Peri-Implantitis

There are two stages of peri-implantitis.

1. Peri-Implant Mucositis

Peri-implant mucositis is the stage where your gums will swell up, and symptoms similar to gingivitis are found around your gums and implant. Then, eventually, a lesion will form around your implant.

2. Peri-Implantitis

Peri-implantitis is the continuation of peri-implant mucositis. This happens once your implant has developed a lesion around it, and the bone supporting it is now starting to deteriorate.

How Do You Know If You Have Peri-Implantitis?

The symptoms of peri-implantitis include the following:

  • Bleeding gums.
  • Swollen gums.
  • Pain when chewing.
  • Fever.
  • Bad breath.
  • Loosening of your dental implant.

The worst-case scenario is when peri-implantitis causes your dental implant(s) to fail and fall out completely.

Prevention Is Key

The best way to prevent peri-implantitis is to practice good oral hygiene and adopt consistent dental habits.

For example,

  • Practice good brushing and flossing habits.
  • Visit your dentist at least twice a year.
  • Talk with your dentist in Deerwood, MN, about receiving treatments designed to stop bacteria before it starts.
  • Eat a healthy diet.
  • Quit smoking and vaping. Both are huge risk factors for developing peri-implantitis.

Unfortunately, it’s still possible to get peri-implantitis even if you have good dental habits. However, practicing good oral hygiene will lessen your chances of getting it.

What Happens If You Do Develop Peri-Implantitis?

If you do develop peri-implantitis, treatment options are available to stop the disease, stabilize your implant, and fix it. The recommended treatment for peri-implantitis is surgical intervention therapy. Surgical intervention therapy involves access flap and bone recontouring, also called resective surgery, and access flap and debridement, along with other regenerative methods that involve using bone grafts with a membrane or without a membrane.

Do You Need a Dentist in Deerwood, MN?

If you are looking for a dentist in Deerwood, MN, please Contact River Oaks Dental today. We offer a comfortable, relaxing, and judgment-free office with state-of-the-art equipment to provide you with the best dental care possible.

3 Important Benefits of Dental Implants

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Are you familiar with the benefits of dental implants? If you’ve recently lost a tooth or had a tooth extracted, your dentist in Aitkin, MN, will sit down with you to discuss options for replacing it. Often, the best course of action is a dental implant. This is a prosthetic tooth that’s anchored permanently to your mouth through the application of a metal post in your jawbone. It’s a procedure that requires minor dental surgery and several visits to your dentist, but it’s increasingly common and has many benefits.

Dental Implants Restore Function

Losing a tooth may make it more difficult to enjoy your favorite foods. After all, the main purpose of teeth is to bite, chew, and grind food. When one or more teeth are lost, function is lost, too. Dental implants perform the function of natural teeth, meaning they’re perfectly capable of withstanding all the same pressure. They make it much easier to eat, as a result.

Dental Implants Improve Your Smile

Few patients are happy with smiles that showcase missing teeth. In fact, losing front incisors can cause your self-esteem to take a big hit. You may feel self-conscious about the way you speak, which could cause you to avoid interacting with others. Dental implants are good solutions for restoring the beauty of your smile. They may restore your confidence and boost your self-esteem, too.

Dental Implants Prevent Bone Loss

If you lose a tooth and your dentist puts nothing in its place, you will eventually suffer bone loss. This happens when the bone beneath the empty socket begins being reabsorbed by the body. Dental bone loss can cause problems with facial structure and may make you appear to be older than you are. It may also cause temporomandibular joint disorders and begin to affect the way your teeth fit together.

Dental Implants in Aitkin, MN

If you’d like to learn more about dental implants in Aitkin, MN, give River Oaks Dental a call today. A friendly and experienced member of our team is waiting to take you call. We’ll schedule a time that’s convenient for you to come in and discuss your goals for dental restoration.