How Should You Clean All-on-4® Implants?

All-on-4® implants can provide you with a beautiful smile of replacement teeth that use dental implants as a solid foundation. They are often an excellent alternative to traditional dentures, but many patients wonder how to clean and care for their implant restoration.

You Do Not Have to Remove All-on-4® Implants

The most significant difference between All-on-4® dental implants and traditional dentures is that All-on-4® implants are not removable. Instead, they are fixed to dental implants embedded in the jawbone to provide a solid foundation. An oral surgeon attaches the upper and lower replacement arches to the dental implants. You cannot remove them yourself, but your oral surgeon can remove them when needed to carry out any future treatment you may need.

You do not take them out at night as you would with traditional dentures, and there is no need to soak them in a denture-cleaning solution. Instead, you enjoy a full smile 24/7 without needing special denture care.

Stick with an Effective Oral Hygiene Routine

Of course, you do have to care for your All-on-4® implant restoration. Just like with natural teeth, you will need to brush and floss to prevent the accumulation of bacteria in your mouth. While your implant restoration will not develop cavities or other symptoms of tooth decay, you still need to manage bacteria to prevent gum disease and other oral health issues.

You may be recommended a specific type of brush to maintain your All-on-4® implants as effectively as possible. A water pick or water flosser is another commonly recommended type of oral hygiene equipment to ensure a complete clean and avoid any buildup between your replacement teeth.

Keep Visiting Your Dentist as Usual

You will have to continue to make regular visits every six months for a routine exam and cleaning. This is important to ensure that oral health issues are not developing and to protect the health of your gums underneath your implant restoration.

The All-on-4® arches are removed during this cleaning process to ensure a complete clean and the best protection against bacteria. This process is simple and straightforward for a skilled dental health professional, so it will not be all that different from a visit to clean natural teeth.

Missing out on these regular visits can impact the longevity of your All-on-4® restorations. You should maintain your dental appointments to keep your new smile healthy and intact for as long as possible.

Maintaining a Full Smile Is Easy with All-on-4® Implants

All-on-4® implants provide both an improved experience and better oral health outcomes than dentures. If you are thinking about All-on-4® dental implants, the SF Oral Surgery team can help you find the right restoration option. Find out whether you are a good candidate for dental implants in San Francisco.