A dental implant restoration is an effective way to restore your looks and chewing ability after losing a tooth. However, there are things that you can do to place your implant at risk. Here are a few of them:

Neglect Brushing and Flossing

A dental implant is not made of living or organic material, so it cannot decay. However, failing to brush and floss regularly can still affect the viability of the appliance.

When you brush and floss, you remove plaque, which contains oral bacteria. Acid from oral bacteria is the main culprit behind tooth decay. As the bacteria consume their food, which includes the carbohydrates left in your mouth after you eat, they excrete bacterial acid. 

This acid dissolves important mineral components of the tooth enamel and inflames gingival tissues. As the gum tissues become inflamed, periodontal disease develops. The condition of the gums can worsen over time, resulting in deep pockets between the gums and the teeth. 

Bacteria can invade these pockets, eventually resulting in bone loss. Since a dental implant rests in the bone of the jaw, bone loss can cause the device to become less stable. Once a dental implant is moved from its position after being stabilized through osseointegration, the implant restoration fails, and a new implant procedure must be performed.

Fail to Guard Your Teeth at Night

Natural teeth are often damaged by nightly teeth grinding. The pressure from the top and bottom teeth grinding together in a back and forth motion can eventually cause the chewing surfaces of the teeth to erode and flatten. In addition, it can cause the natural teeth and implant crowns to become loose, cracked or chipped.

After a dental implant has healed into place, it is fitted with an abutment and covered by a dental crown. Often, a porcelain or porcelain-over-metal crown is used. Although porcelain is quite hard, it can still chip or crack when placed under extreme pressure, such as that of dental grinding.

The force of the teeth grinding together may also cause the dental implant to shift in the bone. When an implant is originally inserted into the jawbone, a healing process called osseointegration occurs. This process causes the implant to integrate or bond with the jawbone, stabilizing the device. However, once the bond of osseointegration is broken, it cannot be re-established.

To learn more about protecting your dental implant, schedule a consultation with an implant dentist in your local area. Check out a website like http://silverstonefamilydental.com for more information and assistance.