If you are getting a dental implant in Elm Grove, you may be wondering if you have to worry about cavities in your new implant. The answer is “no.” Your new dental implant will use a porcelain crown, which cannot develop cavities. Why not? Find out now in this blog from Honest Teeth.
How Do Cavities Work? Explaining The Basics
To explain why dental implants can’t develop cavities, it’s important to understand how cavities actually work. Cavities form when acid in your mouth attacks your tooth enamel, leaching minerals like calcium and phosphates from your tooth. Over time, this softens the enamel and causes a hole to form in your tooth.
Acid in your mouth primarily comes from oral bacteria. These bacteria like to feed on starch and sugar, which are very simple to digest and contain a lot of energy. When the bacteria digest the starch, they excrete acid into your mouth. Over time, this acid buildup can lead to cavities.
This is why regular brushing is so important for your oral health. Not only does it help kill and remove bacteria, but the fluoride in toothpaste also attracts more minerals to your teeth, reversing the effects of acid. Brushing also removes food particles that otherwise would become a food source for these harmful bacteria.
Why Can’t Dental Implants Develop Cavities?
So, why can’t dental implants develop cavities? The reason is simple. The porcelain used for a dental crown is non-porous and has a different chemical structure than your natural tooth enamel.
Because it’s non-porous, it’s harder for acids and other compounds to stick to the surface of the porcelain. And because of its chemical structure, the acids found in most foods and excreted by oral bacteria do not cause the loss of any of the minerals contained in the porcelain crown.
The only acid that could erode your porcelain crown is hydrofluoric acid, which is an extremely dangerous acid that's only really used for industrial purposes, and is not present in any foods or beverages.
How Do I Care For My Dental Implant?
Just because your dental implant doesn’t get cavities doesn’t mean you don’t need to brush it. You should treat your dental implant just like a natural tooth, and brush it whenever you’re brushing your other teeth.
This is because, while your dental implant cannot develop a cavity or become infected, the gum tissue near your implant can. If you develop a gum infection around your dental implant, this is called “peri-implantitis.”
If you develop peri-implantitis around your implant, you may need special cleanings and treatments to reverse it and keep your implant healthy. Or, if you don’t get help for the issue, the infection can damage your gum and bone tissue, ruining your implant and requiring it to be removed.
So if you want to make sure your dental implant stays healthy, you need to continue maintaining good overall oral health and hygiene. After you get your implant, make sure that you:
Brush twice a day for two minutes
Floss once a day
Eat a healthy diet
Avoid sugary foods and beverages
Stay hydrated with plenty of tap water
See Dr. Meinerz & Dr. Krueger For An Appointment Every Six Months!
Along with the above steps, you should also see the team at Honest Teeth for an oral exam and teeth cleaning every six months. This lets Dr. Meinerz and Dr. Krueger keep an eye on your dental implant, and on the health of your natural teeth. Contact us online or give us a call now at (262) 784-7770 to schedule your appointment right away.