Our focus on prosthetics at the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania doesn’t mean we don’t value preventive care. In fact, our patients need to know how to adjust their hygienic practices so that their replacement teeth will last them a long time. We recently discussed cleaning single-crown implants; now let’s turn to fixed bridges.
Anybody who has ever worn braces should understand the basic idea of cleaning a bridge. When the bridge rests on reshaped natural teeth with artificial crowns, patients are advised to thread a strand of floss underneath it and rub the underside of the bridge in the same way they do the sides of their teeth. The floss may be looped around using a threader, which is a flexible device which pulls floss like a needle pulls thread. Some specialty floss is manufactured with a stiffened end so it may be pulled directly.
An implant-supported bridge is cleaned much the same way, except there may be a larger gap between the gum line and the prosthetic crowns. This may afford patients the opportunity to use a proxy brush, which is also known as a Christmas tree brush. A higher-tech option is a waterpick with a tip designed for use on implants.
Dr. Ramin Bahram operates the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania at 2546 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19145. To schedule an appointment, call 215-463-4141 or visit OralSurgeryPA.com and fill out a contact sheet.
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