Dental hygienists play an important part in both the prevention and treatment of dental issues. In an ancillary role that supports the work of your dentist or dental surgeon, a dental hygienist has several duties to fulfil. They evaluate the state of your gums and teeth, take radiographs, remove stains and help to keep your teeth free from plaque, among other responsibilities. When you go to the dentist for a check-up and clean, it’s likely to be a dental hygienist checking for cavities and restoring your mouth to a healthy state.
The All-on-4® procedure replaces failing or failed teeth. More specifically, if you’ve lost all or most of your teeth, All-on-4® provides you with a new bridge of teeth resting on just four dental implants: two at the front and two at the back of one jawbone. In just 24 hours, you can have a renewed smile. But how do you go about cleaning your All-on-4® teeth? Do you still need to see a dental hygienist after All-on-4® for regular check-ups?
A procedure invented and pioneered by Dr Paulo Malo in 1998, All-on-4® has proven its success over the years with a 98% success rate and hundreds of thousands of successful treatments. It delivers a new smile that may not only restore your confidence but also help prevent many of the oral and health issues missing teeth can bring: difficulty chewing, reduced jawbone density, and periodontitis. Here at Next Smile Australia, we use Dr Malo’s own two-bridge process, the Malo Protocol, to provide you with a set of provisional teeth followed by a set of final ones. All-on-4® long-term aftercare is part of our treatment plan.
What is the role of a dental hygienist after All-on-4®? It is probably no surprise that dental hygiene remains important after the All-on-4® treatment process, but how does it change?
Initial Aftercare for All-on-4®
Here’s some news that may come as a relief: caring for All-on-4® teeth really isn’t complicated. Some simple aftercare will guarantee that you can enjoy your new smile for the long term.
The Next Smile Australia team will provide aftercare instructions in the final stage of your treatment timeline. Following those instructions is the best way to guarantee the long-term success of your All-on-4® treatment.
Because it’s a simpler procedure that doesn’t require additional measures like dental bone grafting, All-on-4® has a relatively fast recovery process compared to traditional dental implants.
Some tips for caring for your new teeth during the first few days of recovery include:
Don’t brush or rinse for 24 hours
Your mouth needs time to recover just after the fitting of your implants. Brushing or rinsing your teeth can interrupt the normal healing process.
Clean gums gently for the first two weeks
You can brush and floss All-on-4® teeth the same way you would with natural teeth. But during the first two weeks, it’s important to be very gentle and avoid the surgical sites. Using a soft bristle toothbrush and minimal pressure, carefully clean your gums.
Stick to soft foods and liquids
In the days immediately after your surgery, your diet will be limited to liquids and soft, easy-to-chew foods. Avoid tough or chewy foods for at least 12 weeks.
Long-Term Aftercare for All-on-4®
After the first fortnight, All-on-4® long-term aftercare is very similar to caring for natural teeth. The acts of cleaning All-on-4® teeth and seeing a dental hygienist after All-on-4® are both simple, straightforward processes that require little to no change from the routines you’re already accustomed to.
Some tips for long-term All-on-4® aftercare include:
Brush your All-on-4® prosthesis as if it were your natural teeth
After the first two weeks of recovery, brush your All-on-4® twice a day with a soft bristle toothbrush all the way to your gum line.
Your All-on-4® teeth aren’t susceptible to decay, but good maintenance still requires you to clean them regularly. A soft toothbrush and non-abrasive tartar-control toothpaste are all you need.
Floss at least once a day
After All-on-4® surgery, flossing remains as important as ever. It removes built-up plaque and tartar, helps you maintain healthy gums and dislodges food particles.
Of course, one important aspect of long-term dental health, whether you have All-on-4® or still have all your natural teeth, is regular check-ups. Visiting a dental hygienist after All-on-4® remains as important as it was before and helps keep your implants in good condition.
Visiting the Dentist
You’re probably familiar with the standard wisdom that you should visit the dentist for a check-up and clean every six months. This is a time-honoured piece of advice that helps you to hold onto your natural teeth and gives your dentist a chance to detect problems in the early stages.
After your All-on-4® treatment, your Next Smile Australia dental surgeon will recommend a check-up and clean every six months. This is to make sure your implants maintain integration with the jaw bone as well as to check that all the components and the bridge of teeth are in good repair.
Can you continue to visit your regular dental hygienist after All-on-4®, or will you need a specialist trained in cleaning All-on-4® teeth?
You’ll need to see a dentist with All-on-4® experience. If you live near a Next Smile Australia Super Clinic, that’s the best place to head for All-on-4® long-term aftercare. If not, our accredited partners can provide the services of a dental hygienist after All-on-4® closer to home for you.
Renew Your Smile with Next Smile Australia
Caring for your teeth is a lifelong commitment that never grows any less important, whether you have implants or not. Seeing a dental hygienist after All-on-4® is just as much a priority as regular check-ups and cleans when you still have all of your natural teeth. But it’s important to put your trust in a professional with knowledge of All-on-4® long-term aftercare.
Next Smile Australia provides a level of care that’s second to none before, during and following your All-on-4® procedure. Our empathetic and dedicated approach that prioritises your comfort and the quality of our work remains consistent throughout your All-on-4® process. Like the rest of your treatment plan, our advice for cleaning your All-on-4® teeth is tailored and personalised to meet your needs. We’ll advise you on diet and ongoing maintenance of your teeth, and our treatment warranty guarantees the continuing quality of your All-on-4® smile.
Your All-on-4® journey begins with a personal consultation in which we take your medical and dental history into account and assess your eligibility for All-on-4®. If we decide that All-on-4® is right for you, all your treatments will take place at one of our hygienic and medically regulated All-on-4® Super Clinics, filled with advanced technology. If you live a long way from any Super Clinics, you can book most of your appointments at one of our accredited partners.
Aftercare is as much a priority for Next Smile Australia as any other stage of the process. That’s why, following your surgery, we can fulfil the role of dental hygienist after All-on-4®.
If you’d like to arrange a personal consultation for All-on-4®, contact Next Smile Australia.