How to clean dental implants

Denture cleanser
For storing your denture overnight and cleaning your denture after a meal, we recommend using Haleon’s Polident product line for your best results. While they have many options to choose from, we recommend:

• Polident Overnight Daily Cleanser: Soak your denture overnight for a fresh smile in the morning. Simply add 1 tablet to enough warm water to cover your denture and let it get to work killing 99% of bacteria. Before snapping it back onto your implants, make sure to thoroughly rinse it of any remaining cleansing solution.

• Polident 3-Minute Cleanser: If you’re tight on time, pop your denture into this ultra fast cleanser. Like the overnight solution, add 1 tablet to enough warm water to cover your denture, and then rinse it after 3 minutes to snap back onto your implants.

Mouthwash
When looking for a mouthwash that’s implant-friendly, choose an antiseptic or antimicrobial mouthwash to reduce plaque buildup and give you fresh breath. Avoid any options that include alcohol as this can damage your implant crown and your mouth’s microbiome.

Non-abrasive products
When choosing oral care products, avoid options like stiff-bristle toothbrushes, abrasive toothpastes designed for whitening or products that include ingredients like silica or calcium carbonate. Using products like these can damage your denture and the health of your gums.

• Remove your denture and rinse it under warm water. Avoid using hot water as it can weaken and warm your dentures, making it at risk for damage or breakage over time.

• Use only a soft-bristled toothbrush and water to gently clean your denture of debris.

• Soak your denture overnight in a non-abrasive storing solution. This will help preserve your denture while preventing stains and bacterial growth.

• Rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash to reduce any bacteria from the day.

• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently clean your mouth, including your gums, around your implants, on your tongue and across the roof of your mouth. This will keep your entire smile feeling fresh and ensure your mouth is thoroughly cleaned of bacteria.

• Schedule a professional cleaning at your local Aspen Dental every 6 months to maintain your overall oral health.

Cleaning your dental implants should be a part of your daily routine. While flossing isn’t required, here are a few steps you can add to your daily care to keep the area where your gums and implants meet healthy.

• Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, clean around your implant abutments (the pieces that connect to your denture) at least twice a day.

• After brushing, rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash after meals to prevent plaque or bacteria building up.

• Schedule professional cleanings at your local Aspen Dental every 6 months to maintain your overall oral health.

With implant dentures, you’ll be able to enjoy many of your favorite foods again. However, it’s important to consider options that may make cleaning or caring for your smile difficult. We recommend skipping the following foods to help maintain your healthiest smile and avoid damaging your implant prosthesis:

• Sticky foods

• Hard foods

• Overly chewy or gummy foods

• Remove and inspect implant dentures for any debris or damage

• Clean thoroughly and try reinserting

• Check the colored attachments on your denture (where your denture snaps onto your implants) to check for any changes that could be affecting how your smile fits.

• If discomfort continues, schedule a visit with your local Aspen Dental office to check the fit and function of your implant dentures.

Always clean your fixed full arch implants, or full mouth implants, twice a day with:

• A soft-bristled toothbrush

• Non-abrasive gel toothpaste or Sensodyne Pronamel Clinical Enamel Strength toothpaste

• A power flosser to clean your prosthesis. Focus on your implants, gums and where they connect to your prosthesis to remove any food or bacteria

• An antiseptic mouthwash to rinse your mouth for at least 30 seconds

• For a professional cleaning, schedule a visit at your local Aspen Dental every 6 months to maintain your overall oral health

• Clean your fixed full arch implants, or full mouth implants, twice a day

•  Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and non-abrasive gel toothpaste to gently care for your prosthesis

• Apply gentle pressure to your gums in a circular motion to clean implants thoroughly

• Use a power flosser to clean your implants. Focusing on your implants, gums and where they connect to your prosthesis, slowly move along your arch to remove any food or bacteria.

• Rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash for at least 30 seconds

• Schedule a professional cleaning at your local Aspen Dental every 6 months to maintain your overall oral health

• We recommend using a power flosser to clean under your fixed full arch dental implants

• If you don’t have a power flosser, use shred-resistant floss for your next best option

• Maintain great oral health by flossing twice a day along with our other care tips

Power flossing

• Fill your power flosser up with warm water and select the right tip

• Angle the water flosser at your gum line and prosthesis 

• Follow along your gum line, underneath your prosthesis. Focus around where each your implants connect to your prosthesis. 

• Once complete, rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash 

Shred-resistant flossing

• Avoid standard floss, as it can shred

• Pull your floss underneath your prosthetic. Gently thread it from side to side, focusing around your implants and against your prosthesis to remove debris

• No, you should always use a soft-bristled toothbrush, soft-bristled manual or electric toothbrushes are safe to use

• Brush your fixed full arch implants twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Apply gentle pressure in a circular motion to clean thoroughly and prevent irritation.

• Focus on your gum line while cleaning 

• Pro tip: When choosing a toothpaste, try Sensodyne Pronamel Clinical Enamel Strength toothpaste or a non-abrasive gel toothpaste for a deep clean and to protect the surfaces of your teeth. For more personalized recommendations, reach out to your Aspen Dental clinician.

• We recommend visiting your local care team every 6 months to maintain your oral health

• Prevent gum inflammation and bone loss with consistent check-ups

• Yes—flossing under the arch helps prevent gum disease, minimize bacteria and prevent plaque build-up

• We recommend shred-resistant floss and power flossers

• Keep your smile at its best by flossing twice daily, especially before bed

• At your next visit, your Aspen Dental care team can walk you through how to floss for your best results

With dental implants, many of your favorite foods will be back on the menu. However, it’s important to consider options that may make cleaning or caring for your implants difficulty. Consult your doctor to discuss any foods that you may need to avoid.

Toothpaste
Like your natural teeth, we recommend choosing a non-abrasive, fluoride toothpaste to maintain your overall oral health and avoid scratching or damaging your implant crown. Try Sensodyne Pronamel Clinical Enamel Strength toothpaste to deeply clean and protect the surfaces of your teeth—or ask your Aspen Dental clinician for another recommendation.

Power flosser or shred-resistant floss
How you floss your implant is key to protecting the area around it. Our expert clinicians recommend using a floss product designed for dental implants specifically, such as shred-resistant floss or a power flosser, also known as a water flosser.

• Philips Sonicare Cordless Power Flosser: This is our top recommended power flosser to effectively clean along your gum line, in between your teeth and around your dental implant.

• Shred-resistant floss: Any option that’s designed with stiff ends and a flexible center to reach between and around the implant will work for this type of floss. Curve the floss around the crown in a C-shape, then gently slide it up and down the side, just like you would to a natural tooth.

Mouthwash
When looking for a mouthwash that’s implant-friendly, choose an antiseptic or antimicrobial mouthwash to reduce plaque buildup and give you fresh breath. Avoid any options that include alcohol as this can damage your implant crown and your mouth’s microbiome.

Non-abrasive products
When choosing oral care products, avoid options like stiff-bristle toothbrushes, abrasive toothpastes designed for whitening or products that include ingredients like silica or calcium carbonate. Using products like these can damage your implant crown and the health of your gums.

• Brush your implant and natural teeth twice daily with a soft-bristle toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste

• Floss around the crown of your implant with a power flosser, such as a Philips Sonicare, or shred-resistant floss.

• Focus on flossing your gum line toward your implant abutment (the piece connected to your implant crown) to clean hard-to-reach spots.

• Rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash to reduce plaque buildup

• Use a plaque-removing tool, such as a proxy brush, to gently removal of any plaque or calculus buildup from implant surfaces.

• Schedule a professional cleaning at your local Aspen Dental every 6 months to maintain your overall oral health.

• We recommend visiting your local care team every 6 months to maintain your oral health

• With consistent visits, we can help you protect your implants long-term, and prevent gum inflammation and bone loss.

• Yes, because plaque can build up around the implant and gum line, thorough and consistent daily care is essential to making sure your implants last.

• While your implants don't decay like natural teeth, a good oral care routine will help you maintain your implants long-term and prevent staining. 

• We recommend:

  • Shred-resistant floss or power flossers to thoroughly clean your gum line

  • An antiseptic mouthwash to rinse your mouth for at least 30 seconds

  • A non-abrasive, fluoride toothpaste, such as Sensodyne Pronamel Clinical Enamel Strength toothpaste

• Regular cleanings every 6 months are highly recommended. At Aspen Dental, we’ll track your overall oral health and help care for your dental implants so your smile stays healthy long-term.

With dental implants, many of your favorite foods will be back on the menu. However, it’s important to consider options that may make cleaning or caring for your implants difficulty. Consult your doctor to discuss any foods that you may need to avoid.