Why You Shouldn't Miss Your Implant Evaluation Session

Regular dental consultations are advisable for everybody. However, they become even more critical when you get a dental implant. Even if you missed some of your appointments before getting the implants, you should make it a point not to miss any session after the dental implant session. Knowing how you stand to benefit from the appointments may help convince you not to miss any. Here are some of the things your dentist will check during those visits:

Condition of the Abutment

The abutment is the connector that joins the implant to the replacement tooth. The dentist will examine the abutment to determine whether it's as tight as it should be. Several things such as physical trauma may loosen the abutment, which may lead to a loose prosthetic tooth. The dentist will tighten or replace it if loose.

Status of the Prosthetic Tooth

Prosthetic teeth, which sit on top of the abutment, can wear or break. The restorations can show signs of wear, for example, if you have chronic tooth grinding (bruxism), or your dental occlusion (contact between upper or lower teeth) is asymmetrical. Apart from wear or breakage, other things the dentist may check for here include stability and hygiene of the prosthetic. The dentist will then make the necessary adjustments.

Soft Tissue Analysis

Your dentist will not just be interested in the implant and the prosthetics, he or she will also evaluate the condition of the soft tissues around the implant. In particular, your dentist will look for signs of bruising and inflammation, which may indicate peri-implant diseases. These diseases occur as a result of bacterial attacks on the soft and hard tissues around dental implants. This is a serious condition that, if left untreated, may lead to dental implant failure.

You are more likely to develop peri-implant diseases if you have a history of smoking, diabetes or periodontal diseases. Treatment involves several approaches including antibacterial medication, cleaning, and surgical removal of affected tissues.

Oral hygiene

Lastly, you should know that some people find it more difficult to care for their implants than their natural teeth. Therefore, the dentist will be interested in the status of your oral hygiene, especially the presence or absence of hard deposits around the implants. The presence of such deposits indicate suboptimal dental hygiene, and the dentist will give you a professional cleaning and further advice on how to care for your implants.

As you can see, the reevaluation visits are crucial to the durability of your dental implants. Therefore, make sure you make them part of your critical schedules and save their dates on a calendar. For more information, contact resources like Hartman Gary DDS MS Limited.