When dental implants first appeared on the oral health care scene they were primarily used to replace a single missing tooth. Over the course of the past two decades, dental implant technology has continued to evolve. Now dental implants can also be used in a variety of applications, including anchoring a bridge to restore multiple lost teeth with a bridge.
While your new bridge and the titanium abutments that anchor it in place are made from materials that are not subject to tooth decay, it will still require regular care and cleaning. Residual food particles and plaque can build up on your bridge as well as near the gum line. If it is not cleared away by brushing and flossing twice a day it can harden into dangerous tartar, which promotes gum disease. Chronic, advanced gum disease, known as periodontitis can weaken one or more of the abutments that anchor your implants in place.
If you find that you are having trouble cleaning plaque and food particles from around the bridge you might want to try using a waxed floss threader, interdental brushes or a dental water jet.
Your regular dental checkup with Dr. Jonathan Hwang involves a cleaning procedure that will remove any hardened tartar, and monitor the implant as well as the health of your gums.
If you have questions about the best way to maintain your implanted bridge, please call Dr. Jonathan Hwang at 770.725.7377 to schedule an appointment.