20
Feb
7 Tips for Preserving Dental Implants for Life
Although dental implants entail oral surgery and a lengthy recovery, the final results of a beautiful, functional, healthy smile make this treatment worthwhile. At the office of Neal Edwards DDS, you benefit from quality dental implants in Riverside, California, that are strong and enduring. By taking good care of your implants and restorations, they can last for many years to come.
These tips from your Riverside, CA dental team can help preserve your implants for life: Â
1. Practice Good Oral Hygiene
Good oral care is the secret to implant longevity. Implant restorations are impervious to cavities, but the gum tissues around your implants require special care to prevent gum disease. Brushing twice daily, flossing daily (floss threaders and interdental brushes work best), and using an antibacterial rinse will minimize bacterial buildup on your gums and teeth.
2. See Your Dentist Regularly for Check-ups & Cleanings
Dental check-ups play an important role in keeping your implants strong and healthy in the long term. During routine check-ups, Dr. Edwards can monitor your oral health and the performance of your implants. Dental cleanings eliminate stains, plaque, and tartar from your teeth to keep your smile looking its best.
3. Eat a Healthy Diet
Although implants give you greater freedom to eat what you want, a healthy diet that supports bone and gum health can extend the lifespan of your treatment. Avoid sugary and acidic foods as they increase the production of bacteria that can lead to gum disease. You should also avoid hard and sticky foods, as they can crack a crown restoration or cause it to loosen.
4. Change Harmful Lifestyle Habits
Smoking, chewing on ice, chomping on pencils and pens, and using your teeth as tools are bad lifestyle habits that put implants at risk. These behaviors put undue stress on your new teeth, which can lead to complications in the future. Changing these habits is important to the success of your treatment.
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5. Wear a Night Guard for Teeth GrindingÂ
The persistent clenching and grinding of your teeth can damage both natural and implant teeth. If nighttime bruxism is a problem, wear a night guard to prevent grinding while you sleep. Dr. Edwards can customize a night guard for your use.
6. Manage Chronic Health IssuesÂ
Chronic health conditions you develop after getting implants can have an impact on your treatment. Certain conditions, like diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and autoimmune diseases, can weaken implants and shorten their lifespan. Managing these conditions will reduce any risk they pose to the success of your treatment.
7. Treat Problems QuicklyÂ
Any problems you experience with your teeth after receiving implants should be reported to your Riverside, CA dentist immediately. This includes gum swelling and bleeding, painful chewing, gum recession, loose crowns or bridges, or other unusual symptoms that may indicate implant failure. Early intervention could help save your implants and teeth.Â
Dental Implants in Riverside Near Me
Interested in learning more about dental implants? Give Dr. Neal Edwards from Riverside, CA a call at (951) 614-0033.Â
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Neal Edwards DDS, FICOI
Dr. Neal Edwards, DDS, FICOI, studied Biology at La Sierra University before earning his dental degree from the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. A practicing dentist since 2007, he loves meeting new people and helping them achieve their dental goals through pleasant dental experiences.Dr. Edwards holds memberships in the American Dental Association, California Dental Association, American Academy of Implant Dentistry, and International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI). He is very keen on continuing education and completed his ICOI Fellowship recently. He had also completed a mini-residency in implant dentistry from Loma Linda University. He is a Team Dentist for the Ontario Reign hockey team - LA Kings’ AHL affiliate.
What Our
Patients
Say
Erin’s Experience With Teeth Grinding
My name’s Aaron Phillips, and I’ve been a patient of Dr. Edwards for about seven years since he opened his practice. The treatment that I’ve received that’s made the biggest difference in my smile has really been addressing my grinding. So I grind a lot. I grind at night, I grind during the day. I’m clenching, and so I’ve cracked a molar and he’s had to fill another molar where I’ve just ground away. It’s down to dentin, and that’s made a big difference for me in terms of pain and coping through the day. So through his treatment, Dr. Edwards has really helped, I think, preserve and save my teeth because I just grind so hard. But he’s also helped me address pain that I have throughout the day. I have a lot of jaw pain. It creates headaches and tension in my neck, and it was really impacting my daily life.
And so with his help, I’ve been able to address that and save my teeth. So Dr. Edwards, his entire team make us feel really comfortable here in the office. They greet us, they know us, they know the details of our family and our kids. And because we’ve been patients for so long, they just really make us feel like we’re home. It’s a very comfortable environment for us. If folks are interested in getting dental treatment, I think they should choose Dr. Edwards because he’s honest and trustworthy and he’ll tell you what you need and then he’ll follow through. And his staff, they’re amazing. They make you feel very comfortable, very trusting, and they make you feel like family.
Erin’s Experience With Teeth Grinding
Kibra’s Experience With Dental Implants
My name is Kyra Men, and I’ve been a patient of Dr. Edwards for about 15 years now. So the treatment that I received with Dr. Edwards that made the biggest difference for me were my implants. I needed an implant. I needed a bridge. I mean, my confidence was shot because my teeth had a lot of issues. Your smile is everything. I’m an educator. I teach kids. I sing a lot, and so being nervous about what you’re going to look like on camera, it really is a thing. So I think just the implants, being able to regain that confidence, it was everything. I decided to get the bridge repair and the implants because my teeth, when he went in to try to repair them, they weren’t salvageable, and so we had to do something to replace my existing teeth. I just felt overall restored. I felt a lot more confident.
I was excited to explore the other treatments that he suggested as well. If someone is interested in a bridge repair treatment, I would say definitely choose Dr. Edwards because he takes time to make sure the small details are covered. For instance, the color of the teeth, you could tell the difference between their natural teeth and then the bridge repair. With him, that’s not the case. He takes the time to make sure that there’s a perfect color match. He maintains the integrity of the shape of the tooth, and even any of the spacing that your normal teeth would have.
Kibra’s Experience With Dental Implants
Lou’s Experience With Same Day Crowns
My name is Lou Monville, and I have been a patient of Dr. Edwards for seven years. So the treatment that I received here that made the biggest difference in my smile is these two things right here. So those teeth got broken in high school, plain water polo, like a lot of my dental work, and I had some old crowns. They were getting to the point that they needed to be replaced, and so Dr. Edwards says it’s time to replace those. But what blew my mind was it was done in a day. I was in and out of here in less than two hours with two brand new teeth that actually looked like my teeth. My wife was blown away. The technology now and the technology that Dr. Edwards has is phenomenal. I was always kind of cautious with my smile, real up close with those kind of big false teeth, and now you can’t tell the difference.
My kids noticed the difference. My family noticed the difference. So it’s been probably one of the best things I’ve done in a long time. Well, if you’re going to have a crown treatment, why would I tell you to go see Dr. Edwards? First off, the attention to detail that was super important. Then two, just the technology, the ability to not have to walk around with a false tooth or a temporary, two crowns in and out, two hours. I’ve never experienced that in my life to have that repair look phenomenal, but to be done, when you walk out and you’ve got your smile, you can’t beat it.