Proper Dental Hygiene is Crucial for Keeping Dental Implants Healthy
When installed correctly by an experienced UK dentist, dental implants have a very low risk of rejection or loss. However, there are some issues that can arise after the dental implants are installed that can affect their use. Infections may occur no matter what, but the patient can do a lot to avoid this issue that may cause dental implant failure.
If the patient does not keep up with the very high dental hygiene requirements to keep their dental implant healthy, the gums surrounding it may become infected. The bone and gums that are involved in the surgery are very sensitive to bacteria until fully healed, and even after the healing process is done bad dental hygiene can cause an infection. The infection can spread from the gum to the bone through the implant, which can be very serious and cause the implant to be lost.
Infections can damage the nerves of the jaw. If these nerves become damaged, they can affect the muscles of the face, possibly causing drooping or twitching. Also, if the jaw becomes infected, the dental implants must be removed so the infection can be treated. Bone loss can also occuring, requiring a bone graft if a replacement implant is to be installed.