A dental implant can't get a cavity — but the gum and bone around it can still become inflamed, and that's what causes implants to fail. The good news: prevention is simple and almost entirely in your hands.
While you heal
- Stick to soft foods and chew away from the implant site for the first days, then progress as we advise.
- Keep the area clean with the gentle technique we show you — clean implants heal best.
- No smoking or vaping. Nothing sabotages implant healing faster.
- Some bruising and tenderness is normal; call us about persistent swelling, fever, or anything that feels wrong.
For the decades after
- Brush twice dailyTreat your implant like a natural tooth — soft brush, every surface, especially along the gumline.
- Clean in betweenFloss, interdental brushes, or a water flosser around the implant once a day. The gum seal is your implant's first line of defense.
- Keep your maintenance visitsProfessional cleanings let us monitor the bone level and catch any inflammation early, while it's easy to reverse.
Know the warning signs
Bleeding when brushing around the implant, redness, swelling, a bad taste, or any looseness — call us promptly. Early peri-implant inflammation is very treatable; ignored, it can cost the implant.
Implants love consistency
Patients who keep up daily cleaning and regular checkups routinely get 20+ years from their implants. Boring habits, brilliant results.