2 Tips To Avoid Chipping Your Dental Implants As A Teen

Dealing with missing or damaged teeth at a young age can be difficult to do. This is even harder when you are going through high school. If you are fortunate enough to get dental implants as a teen, then this can vastly improve your overall smile and appearance. While dental implants are constructed in a way that will allow them to last many years this does not protect them from damage. Your dental implants can develop cracks the same way your natural teeth can if you are not careful. Fortunately, there are a few tips that you can use to avoid chipping your dental implants.

Always Use Your Mouth Guard When Playing Sports

You may think a mouth guard is only good for protecting natural teeth. However, mouth guards work really well for protecting dental restorations as well. A mouth guard will act as a buffer between your implants so that they do not grind against each other. If this does happen, then you will quickly notice little chips and potentially cracks at the tip of your implants. In order for the mouth guard to work well, you need to get one that fits the shape of your teeth as best as possible. This can be done by speaking your dentist about a customized mouth guard. A mold of your teeth will be taken in order to construct a customized mouth guard. Once you get your mouth guard always wear it when playing sports.

Give Up Hard and Sticky Candies

If you have a sweet tooth, then it may extremely difficult to give up hard and sticky candies. However caramelized and taffy sweets can result in chips. The caramelized candies apply too much force to the surface of the implant when they are eaten. Eating hard candies can have the same effect on your teeth as high impact sports. While the sticky candies, like taffy, pull against the implant. This constant pulling will eventually cause chips, cracks and may even cause your dental implant to loosen over time. Instead, look for sweets that are much easier to eat. Chocolates offer the same satisfying level of sweetness and are a lot more forgiving on dental implants.

Dental implants can quickly make you feel as though your smile is indestructible. However, it is important to care for them the same way you would natural teeth. Use these tips to ensure that you are able to do this. For more information, contact a local dentist, such as Bruce Mathes DDS.