How To Floss Around Dental Implants
How to Floss with a Dental Implant: A Simple Guide
Cheers to your new smile! If you recently got a dental implant, you're probably excited about restoring any missing or damaged teeth. Maintaining the health of your implant is key for making sure it lasts properly and one of the best ways to do that…is flossing! Yup, flossing properly keeps your whole mouth healthy and that includes implants. But how do you floss with an implant and why is it important if it’s not even a ‘real tooth’?
Flossing is vital for everyone, but it’s especially relevant if you have a dental implant. It’s true that there’s one major upside to having an implant—you can’t develop cavities on your implanted tooth (woohoo!). But, that doesn’t mean you’re not susceptible to plaque buildup, infections, and gum disease. Flossing regularly removes plaque buildup between teeth to keep your gums and the teeth surrounding your implant healthy. Plus, plaque buildup can interfere with the bond between the implant and your bone. Flossing is a surefire way to keep the surrounding area free of bacteria!
How to Floss with a Dental Implant
Flossing with an implant requires a slightly different technique than with natural teeth. Here’s how to do it properly:
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Use the right floss
Standard dental floss is thin, can often fray, and be too harsh for use around implants. We recommend Cocofloss for its extra thickness, plush thread, and coconut-oil coating for extra soothing around sensitive gums. We also recommend threader flosses, like our CocoPlush Threaders, since the fine-tipped threader is easy to weave around an implant and expandable floss has extra cleaning action.
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Be gentle
Be extra careful when flossing around your implant and use gentle, slower-than-normal motions to avoid harming your gums.
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Wrap the floss around your fingers for better control.
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Insert the floss between your implant and surrounding teeth carefully, making sure not to snap or force your floss in.
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Form a "C" shape around the implant and gently slide the floss up and down the sides of the implant and gum line to remove plaque.
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Floss both sides
Make sure to floss on both sides of the implant and the surrounding teeth. This ensures you're cleaning the entire area and removing plaque buildup on all surfaces.
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Seek out flossing add-ons and alternatives
Have you heard of an interdental brush? It’s like a tiny toothbrush for your gums that you can poke in and out to remove plaque in between your big daily flossing sessions. It also might be easier and gentler for folks with implants who need the extra support to keep hard-to-reach areas clean. Consider keeping a Great Gums Brush on the go.
The most important keys to flossing with a dental implant—consistency and care. Floss at least once a day to really see results. However, flossing too aggressively and intensely around your implant can cause more harm than good to your gums and the implanted tooth, so be sure to take it nice and slow. (No snap, crackle, popping that floss!)
Flossing with a dental implant is essential for maintaining the health and stability of your implant and surrounding teeth. With the right tools and techniques, it’ll be a breeze to make this a part of your daily routine. With a little extra TLC, your implant should serve you well for years to come.
