Once you have had your dental implants placed, oral hygiene is especially important. The better you take care of your oral hygiene after your implant surgery, the faster your mouth will heal. But you will need to take care not to disturb your dental implants. The first few weeks after dental implant surgery are crucial to the success of your implants. 

Oral hygiene will help to keep your mouth healthy and strong after implant surgery. But you'll need to make some adjustments to your oral hygiene routine.

Wait for 24 hours before you resume normal brushing

This is especially important if the surgical site is very sensitive. Leave the area alone for 24 hours. This will give your mouth some time to heal.

Use a soft-bristled toothbrush as your implants heal

Before your implant surgery, purchase a soft-bristled toothbrush. This will help to prevent damage occurring to the healing implant site as you brush your teeth. You should use the soft toothbrush at least until the surgery site is no longer tender and sore.

Avoid brushing the area around the healing wound

Don't disturb the surgery site for at least a week. If you brush the area too soon, you could irritate the healing gum tissue and slow the healing process down. Allow time for the damaged gum tissue to heal around the wound before you begin to brush the area.

Use an oral rinse or warm saltwater to keep the area clean

Although you can't use a toothbrush to clean the surgical site, you still need to keep the area clean and bacteria-free. To do that, rinse your mouth with warm saltwater each day. This will kill bacteria and reduce any inflammation, which in turn will speed up the healing process. Your prosthodontist may also give you an oral rinse to use.

Use a water flosser to clean the area around the implant

Another way you can clean the sensitive area around the implant while it heals is to use a water flosser. This will allow you to remove food debris, plaque and bacteria without damaging the sensitive tissues with a toothbrush.

Rinse your mouth out after every meal

To keep food debris from building up around the surgical site, rinse your mouth out with water after every meal. This will wash away both food debris and oral bacteria, both of which will interfere with the healing process.

If you follow this advice, your dental implants will heal properly. And within a few months, you'll be able to use your dental implant just like a natural tooth. Contact a dental implant provider for more information. 

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