Looking after your dental implants
When poorly cared for, implants will develop a covering of hard and soft deposits (calculus and plaque) which is very similar to that found on neglected natural teeth. Untreated, these deposits can lead to gum infection, bleeding, soreness and general discomfort, just as can occur around natural teeth. It could probably be said that implants much like teeth will last for as long as you can keep them clean. Well maintained implants placed into adequate bone can be expected to last for many years and probably for your lifetime. However, just as you would expect conventional crowns, bridges and fillings to need occasional repairs or replacements during their lifetime, your implants-retained teeth may also have similar maintenance requirements over theirs.
You will be able to clean around each implant by brushing and flossing in just the same way that you would around natural teeth or even bridges. In some areas, special floss or toothbrushes and other cleaning aids may be needed to maintain good oral hygiene but usually cleaning is not at all difficult. It is reasonable to expect some of the daily hygiene procedures to be a little more complex than around your original teeth - equally expect to spend more time maintaining your oral health than you may have done in the past if you wish to maintain optimum implant health.