There’s emotional pressure and then there’s literal physical pressure. When we’re talking about keeping your dental implants safe from harm, of course, we do hope that you realize you’ve really got to safeguard them from the latter of those types of pressure! Remember that when you press too hard on restorations, they can crack or break. When you press too hard on your teeth (as in, you’re trying to bite into something with all of your might but it’s not breaking), you can end up causing implants to become failures, rather than successes. What are some ways you can minimize the chance of this, you ask our Livonia, MI team? Let’s explore!
Cut Your Food Up First
One of the easiest ways to limit the amount of pressure you’re placing on your dental implants is to stop asking them to do so much chewing. Of course, they are there to chew your food for you. However, remember that as long as you cut the food up first, you won’t have to be doing so much work. It’s a very easy thing to remember: Rely on that silverware!
Take Smaller Bites
Again, if you’re eating something that you hold, rather than eat with a fork, then just remember that you don’t want to push your dental implants beyond their limits. Instead, take smaller bites! It results in less pressure against your implants and happens to be much safer for your jaw joints, too, which can only handle so much pressure themselves!
Choose Softer Foods
This one is easy: Eat soft foods that aren’t so difficult to bite through and you’ll be giving your dental implants a big break!
Stop Using Your Smile As Anything But Your Smile
Especially now that you have dental implants that are made of titanium and brand new restorations, you may start to get the feeling that your smile is invincible like a little superhero! Unfortunately, this is not the case. It’s still vulnerable, just like it was when you had a mouth full of natural teeth. It isn’t something that you should use in any way other than its intended purpose, which is primarily eating, speaking, laughing, etc. If you find yourself tempted to use your teeth to carry something, to open a package, etc., decide against it to keep it safe.
Keep Implants Safe From Pressure
When you’re not sure about the best way to approach protecting your dental implants, remember that we are a wellspring of information! All it takes is a visit with our team to learn more! James Stewart, DDS, and our team serve patients from Livonia, MI, as well as Farmington Hills and the surrounding communities. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at (734) 425-4400.