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Dental Health and Food: Learning to Eat Better

My intense love for candy, cakes, and everything in between started as a child. I simply couldn't go one day without something sweet to eat. But my love for all things sweet took a toll on my teeth. My dentist diagnosed me with seven cavities, each one a different size and depth. After sitting through four long dental appointments, I decided to make a change. I now monitor my diet and only eat things that benefit my oral health. I'm here to help you take better care of your teeth. My blog offers tips on how to improve your diet, maintain good oral hygiene, and many other topics. Hopefully, you can learn to overcome your bad habits just as I did. Good luck with your future dental health.

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Dental Health and Food: Learning to Eat Better

Six Brushing Mistakes To Avoid After Dental Implant Surgery

by Eric Bailey

Proper oral hygiene practices are essential for recovering from dental implant surgery. Brushing is perhaps the most important oral hygiene task you need to take care of to keep your mouth clean and your teeth healthy as you recover.

Unfortunately, patients sometimes make brushing mistakes that complicate their recovery from dental implant surgery. The following are six brushing mistakes to avoid after dental implant surgery. 

Waiting too long to start brushing after surgery

It's normal for a patient's mouth to feel sensitive and swollen after dental implant surgery. For this reason, patients may not want to start brushing immediately after the procedure.

While it's OK to wait a day or so to begin brushing again, it's important not to wait too long. Cleanliness is essential for avoiding infection after dental implant surgery. Brushing is an important part of ensuring cleanliness. 

Using a toothbrush with firm bristles

Before you go in for your surgery, you should prepare by stocking up on toothbrushes with soft bristles. Soft bristle toothbrushes are the best to use on dental implants while recovering from surgery and after recovery as well. 

Failing to keep your toothbrush clean enough

You need to do everything you can to prevent infection while recovering. This means that you need to protect your mouth from exposure to bacteria. Your mouth can be exposed to bacteria if there are bacteria on your toothbrush. 

You can minimize bacteria on your toothbrush by thoroughly rinsing it after use, keeping a toothbrush cover on it, and storing it in an upright holder so it is doesn't touch your bacteria-laden sink countertop. 

Avoiding the area of the mouth where your dental implants are located

The surgery site may feel sensitive while you are recovering. You should definitely be gentle while brushing around your new implants, However, you shouldn't neglect it entirely while brushing. Again, keeping the surgery site clean is essential for avoiding infection. 

If you are experiencing discomfort, brush very gently around the surgery site. You should also be using an antiseptic mouthwash to kill germs and bacteria on the surgery site to minimize infection risks. 

Not brushing long or often enough

The same rules apply when brushing implants as those that apply when brushing natural teeth. You should brush two times a day for two minutes each time. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you can brush less frequently with implants because they are not natural teeth and can't develop cavities.

Although implants can't develop cavities, it's still essential to keep the gums around them clean to avoid gingivitis and other oral hygiene issues. Also, brushing your implants keeps them looking white and helps prevent stains. 

Neglecting to brush the molars

Patients sometimes feel slightly uncomfortable when opening their mouth wide right after dental implant surgery. This can make it harder to brush the back molars. However, it's important to brush the back molars thoroughly because cavities are common in this part of the mouth.

Make sure that you focus on reaching your back molars while brushing. If you are experiencing a great deal of discomfort when you open your mouth wide to brush your molars, discuss this issue with your dentist. They can provide more information related to dental implant surgery

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