Our dental implants Nottingham can be a wonderful investment in yourself, restoring a visually predominant tooth or a functionally variable molar. What sort of aftercare or maintenance is required to protect your investment? Let's find out!What are oral implants?Dental implants Nottingham are titanium rods which are inserted into your jaw bone via surgery. Over a period of between 4 to 9 months, the implant fuses with the surrounding jaw, allowing us to attach prosthetics such as a single crown, a bridge or an entire denture. Titanium is the chosen material for oral implants because it allows the surrounding bone to fuse with it and thus, acts as a very strong anchor or structural support to anything attached to it. The most commonly used type of oral implant in dental cosmetics is the end endosteal implant.Getting the most out of oral implantsTo get the most out of your implants, you need to take care of them as you would your natural teeth. In the first few weeks following the fitting, aim to keep the implant site clean using salt water and only eat soft foods. Harder foods can cause the implant to move or fuse at an odd angle during these early days. Once the prosthetic is attached to the implant, you will need to begin brushing your implant as you would your natural teeth. This will also include flossing. The aim of this is to prevent gum disease as implants cannot suffer from cavities. Gum disease, if left unchecked with oral implants can cause them to fall out in a similar way as it causes natural teeth to fall out. You also need to attend check-ups with our team so we can assess if there are any issues with the implants.What if an implant is broken or detached by trauma?It would be very unusual for an implant to completely detach from the jaw, as it is very unusual for a tooth to become completely dislodged during trauma. However, if you damage the prosthetic part of your implant, you need to see your team as soon as possible. An oral implant is devised of three parts; the screw-like part which is attached to the jaw, the abutment which is a middle connector, and the top which is the oral prosthetic. We will simply remove the prosthetic part from the abutment and attach another. If there is an issue with the entire implant coming loose, then we will attempt to secure it. If this is not viable, we will have to remove it.Things to avoidWhen you have dental implants Nottingham fitted, there are a few things you need to avoid in order to keep them healthy. For one thing, if you are a smoker, this can heighten the chance of gum inflammation and gum disease, which is attributed to premature loss of oral implants. You will also need to keep an eye out for signs of infection and gum disease. Both of these on their own can cause premature loss of the implants. It is also avoiding drinking alcohol to excess as, like cigarettes, this has been linked to a heightened chance of periodontal disease.