Dental Implant Bridge Home Care Instructions

What You Should Do After Receiving Your Dental Implant Bridge

A Dental Implant Bridge is a prosthetic device used to replace one or more missing teeth by utilizing dental implants as a secure foundation. After receiving your dental implant bridge, it is important to follow these post-visit instructions to ensure an uneventful recovery period.

Oral Hygiene

• Brush At Least Twice A Day: Conventional wisdom says that you should brush at least twice a day; once in the morning and once before you go to bed. Two times a day is a good rule of thumb. But ideally, you should brush right after a meal. This is to maximize the amount of time your teeth stay clean between meals.
• When You Cannot Brush Your Teeth, Rinse With Water Or Mouthwash: It is sometimes not practical to be brushing after every meal. You may be busy at work or at school during your day and cannot find time to brush or floss. If this is the case, at least rinse with water or mouthwash to get as much food debris and taste out of your mouth. This will help prevent recurring cavities under your new implant bridge. One brand of mouthwash that we highly recommend is Crest Gum Care Mouthwash Oral Rinse.
• Consider Upgrading Your Toothbrush: Ensure you are using a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean the area around your dental implant bridge, as they are gentler on the tooth and less likely to cause damage or irritation to the gum tissue around it. One brand of toothbrush that we highly recommend is the Curaprox CS5460 Ultra Soft Swiss Toothbrush. Also consider upgrading to an electric toothbrush, which can be more effective at removing plaque and bacteria around your dental implant bridge and surrounding teeth. One brand of electric toothbrush that we highly recommend is the Philips Sonicare Protectiveclean 6100.
• Floss Daily: Flossing is critical to remove plaque and food particles that may accumulate around and underneath your dental implant bridge. Ideally you should be flossing every time you brush, but once a day is the bare minimum. We recommend Oral-B Super Floss.This floss features a unique three-part design that makes it easy to clean around implant bridges and other hard-to-reach areas..
• Buy A Water Flosser: We highly recommend you purchase a Water Flosser and to use it daily in addition to regular flossing; the Water Flosser will flush out debris missed by floss and toothbrush. Ideally you should be water flossing every time you brush, but once a day is the bare minimum. One brand that we highly recommend is the Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser.
• Use A Gum Care Antibacterial Mouthwash Daily: Rinse your mouth with gum care mouth rinse to protect against peri-implantitis. Ideally you should be rinsing with mouthwash every time you brush, but once a day is the bare minimum. One brand of mouthwash that we highly recommend is Crest Gum Care Mouthwash Oral Rinse.
• Use A Gum Care Toothpaste: Be sure to use a toothpaste that has a unique formula that protects from peri-implantitis around your new dental implant bridge, and promote gum health. One brand that we highly recommend is the Crest Pro Health Gum Detoxify Deep Clean Toothpaste.
• Attend Regular Check-Ups And Cleanings: Schedule regular check-ups and teeth cleanings with your dentist to monitor the health of your dental implant bridge and to ensure that it is functioning correctly. Your dentist will examine your teeth and take digital dental x-rays to check for any potential problems, such as peri-implantitis, as well as clean the area and surrounding teeth to remove any plaque or tartar buildup.

Food

• You can eat any type of food like normal with your permanent dental implant bridge. 

Pain, Sensitivity And/Or Swelling

• It’s possible to temporarily experience hot and cold tooth sensitivity. This will go away within a day or two.
• You are also welcome to use over the counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Ask your dentist what dosage is right for you, but if you do not have a pre-existing medical condition of allergies, 1000mg acetaminophen (Tylenol) with 600mg ibuprofen (Advil) every 4-6 hours or as needed is a very powerful combination.

Visit Your Dentist For Regular Checkups And Cleanings

• If you find that your bite is uneven or the dental implant bridges feel high, contact us and we can adjust the bite free of charge.
• In addition to daily brushing and flossing at home, you should regularly visit your dentist. We recommend that you see your dentist at least once a year for a check-up and at least every 6 months for a dental cleaning. Your dentist will assess the health of your dental implant bridge as well as signs of peri-implantitis so that they can be treated early.

Have Questions?

• If you have any additional questions or concerns about your implant bridge, please contact us.