Investing in restoring or enhancing your smile is a big decision and typically involves a financial investment. Once you've decided to invest in your smile, it's essential to understand how to protect that investment and make the most of your new restorations and enhanced smile.
Whether replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant or restoring a fractured tooth with a crown, the steps you take to protect your restoration and smile are similar. Here are some helpful tips for maintaining your smile.
#1 Consistent Home Care
Brushing and flossing your teeth consistently and daily effectively removes plaque and bacteria that cause problems like tooth decay or gum disease, which could impact your restorations. For example, a tooth crown can't get a cavity, but without consistent brushing and flossing, bacteria can get under it and cause decay to the natural tooth structure, putting the crown at risk.
Tooth decay that reaches below the gumline can be detrimental to a dental implant. An infection of the jawbone can cause implant failure.
#2 Routine Dental Exams and Teeth Cleanings
Bi-annual dental exams and teeth cleanings are another great way to protect your smile. During each exam, your Vancouver dentist will check the health of your current restorations to ensure there's no wear that could become problematic in the future. That way, you can deal with concerns before they become tooth emergencies.
#3 Avoid Certain Foods
Hard, sticky, chewy, or crunchy foods could be a problem for dental crowns and fillings that can get pulled off or fractured. Here are some of the culprits to avoid:
- Crusty bread
- Hard or sticky candy, like taffy
- Raw carrots or apples
- Chewy meats, like steak
- You don't have to avoid these foods altogether. Instead, cut them into smaller, more manageable pieces to chew.
If you have questions or concerns about maintaining dental restorations, call Alta Dental Studio at (604) 876-5032.