Cavities vs. Dental Implants: Why You Need to Maintain Your Prosthetic Teeth

After everything your natural teeth have endured in your life, you may feel ready to simply give up.  You’re tired of having to deal with cavities left and right, and you want to turn to replacement dentition. Dental implants are considered the gold standard for restoring missing teeth, but will you run into the same problems with them too? In other words, can dental implants get cavities? If no, then why are you told to take care of them? What does implant maintenance actually involve? Get the answers to your questions here!

Can Dental Implants Get Cavities?

Consisting of non-organic materials, dental implants have absolutely no risk of getting cavities. Implants typically are made of biocompatible titanium, screw-like posts that integrate with the jawbone, an abutment made of titanium as well, and a porcelain and/or acrylic restoration on top. The eroding acids in decay-causing bacteria do not directly damage the implants themselves.

However, it’s important to know that cavities aren’t the only threat to your smile. As a result, even if you replace your entire arch of missing teeth with dental implants, your days of worrying about your oral health are not behind you.

Why Do I Need to Take Care of My Dental Implants?

If dental implants are not susceptible to decay, why would you need to keep them clean? Your dentist warns you that you need to maintain good oral hygiene habits if you want to hold onto your replacement teeth for the long term.

Although the titanium and porcelain prosthetic teeth will never contract cavities, you have other oral structures that can still become affected by nasty bacteria and plaque. Namely, bacteria-filled plaque can accumulate on your implants, specifically at the base, irritating and inflaming your gum tissue. Without keeping your implants clean, a complication called peri-implantitis, which is extremely similar to gum disease, can develop. As the infection continues to progress, these bacteria spread to the jawbone, degrading its ability to support your implants firmly. Unless your dentist intervenes, your implants can become loose or come out completely, leading to failure.

How Should I Maintain My Dental Implants?

Fortunately, dental implant care looks pretty much the same as regular dental requirements. At minimum, you must brush and floss your teeth every day, drink plenty of water, and go to see your dentist at least every six months for a basic checkup and cleaning. Often, your dentist identifies complications or threats sooner than you can because they’ve received much more training and know what to look for. When caught and addressed early, potential trouble for your dental implants can be eliminated and controlled, preserving your restored teeth.

With dental implants, you don’t have to worry about painful or annoying cavities anymore, but you can’t be lazy with your new teeth either. These prosthetics still require effort and good habits. Otherwise, they, like your natural teeth, will not be successful for long. The good news is that this maintenance doesn’t demand much, so having a strong smile is well worth the care you put into your replacement teeth.

About the Practice

At Gerome and Patrice Family Dentistry, we have the amazing privilege of working with three highly skilled and trained dentists and many friendly professionals on our staff. In fact, our practice was voted as a Top Dentist for 2022 in Cincinnati Magazine, which is an impressive honor in the area. If you are interested in learning more about dental implants, feel free to schedule a consultation by calling our Loveland office at 513-677-1349 or visiting our website here.