Dental implants require conscientious daily care and regular professional visits, the same brushing, flossing, and checkups your natural teeth need, to prevent peri-implant disease and keep the gum and bone around them healthy. At Sola Dental Spa in Staten Island, board-certified periodontist Dr. Daniel Nejat, DMD emphasizes that the implant itself does not decay, but the living tissue around it can become inflamed and lose support if maintenance slips. Good implant maintenance is straightforward, and it is the single biggest factor in how long an implant serves you. If you are considering treatment, our overview of dental implants is the place to start.
Implants need daily brushing and flossing and routine professional cleanings to stay plaque-free, just like natural teeth. This prevents peri-implant disease, an inflammation of the gum and bone around the implant. Your periodontist and general dentist monitor the implant, teeth, and gums at periodic follow-up visits.
“Patients love hearing the titanium cannot get a cavity, and that is true. But the gum and bone holding that implant are very much alive, and they respond to plaque the same way they do around a natural tooth. My job after placement is to help you keep that tissue healthy, because that is what makes an implant last.”
Dr. Daniel Nejat, DMD, Board-Certified Periodontist, Sola Dental Spa
A patient from Tottenville came back a year after his implant convinced maintenance was optional because the crown felt solid. His home care had drifted, and the gum around the implant was inflamed and starting to bleed. We caught it early, reset his hygiene routine, and the tissue recovered. Had he waited longer, he could have been looking at bone loss. The implant was fine; the neglect around it was the risk.
Why do implants need maintenance if they cannot decay?
Because the tissue around the implant is living and vulnerable to plaque. The American Academy of Periodontology notes that implants require the same conscientious at-home care and regular dental visits as natural teeth to prevent peri-implant disease.
The American Academy of Periodontology is direct on this point: just like natural teeth, dental implants require conscientious at-home oral care and regular dental visits to preserve function and prevent peri-implant disease, and to keep the implant clean and plaque-free, brushing and flossing are still necessary. The crown may be artificial, but the gum and bone that anchor it are your own tissue, and they need protecting.
What does daily implant care look like?
Brush at least twice a day, floss around the implant daily, and keep the area where the crown meets the gum clean. Consistency matters more than any single tool.
The mechanics are familiar because they mirror natural-tooth care: thorough brushing, daily flossing, and attention to the gumline where plaque likes to hide. Some patients benefit from tools that make cleaning around an implant easier, and we will show you what fits your case at your visit. The point is not complexity, it is not skipping days, because peri-implant inflammation builds quietly in the spots that get missed. Keeping the surrounding bone healthy is also why we treat the foundation seriously, as we explain in the role of bone health in dental implants.
What happens at professional follow-up visits?
Your periodontist and general dentist monitor the implant, teeth, and gums, clean areas you cannot reach, and check for early signs of peri-implant disease so small problems are caught before they threaten the implant.
The AAP explains that after an implant is placed, your periodontist works closely with you and your general dentist to develop the best care plan, and periodic follow-up visits are scheduled to monitor your implant, teeth, and gums to make sure they are healthy. Those visits are where professional cleaning reaches below the gumline and where early inflammation is spotted and reversed. This is the same team approach that supports long-term success after placement, which our guide to recovery after dental implants describes for the healing phase.
| Care step | What it protects | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Brushing | Gumline and crown surfaces | At least twice daily |
| Flossing or interdental cleaning | Tissue around the implant | Daily |
| Professional cleaning | Areas below the gumline | As scheduled by your team |
| Monitoring visits | Implant, bone, and surrounding gums | Periodic follow-ups |
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need to floss around an implant?
Yes. The AAP is explicit that brushing and flossing are still necessary to keep an implant clean and plaque-free. The gum around the implant is living tissue, and flossing protects it from the inflammation that leads to peri-implant disease.
What is peri-implant disease?
It is inflammation of the gum and bone around an implant, driven by plaque, similar to gum disease around natural teeth. Caught early it is reversible; ignored, it can lead to bone loss and threaten the implant. Regular care prevents it.
How often should I see the dentist after getting an implant?
Keep the periodic follow-up schedule your periodontist and general dentist set for you. Those visits monitor the implant, teeth, and gums and include cleaning you cannot do at home. Do not skip them once the crown feels settled.
Can I use a regular toothbrush and floss?
Often yes, and sometimes we add tools that clean around the implant more easily. Dr. Nejat will show you what suits your specific implant and mouth so your daily routine is both simple and effective.
What should make me call the office in Staten Island?
Bleeding around the implant, tenderness, swelling, or any feeling of looseness. These can be early signs of peri-implant disease, and catching them promptly is how we protect both the implant and the bone that holds it.