Dentist Questions Dentist

Does food get under implants?

I am a 48 year old male and I will get dental implants. Does food get under implants?

6 Answers

Think of it just like a tooth. Food can get between the gum and tooth/crown of implant so you need to clean around them, but the actual implant/root of tooth is in the bone.
Food can get stuck between the implant crown and its neighbor. The shape of a crown may be a little different than a natural tooth which can often times cause food impaction. A skilled dentist and lab technician can help to make sure this does not happen. Also good oral hygiene to the area is very important. the firmer the tissue is, the more resistant to food it will be. A rubber tip stimulator is very helpful for the gum tissue around an implant. It helps to keep the tissue firm.
While dental implants are made of different materials and replace the root of the tooth, if you fail to properly clean your dental implant twice daily, you can develop an oral infection around your dental implant.

This infection can actually cause your implant to eject or fail. There is a possibility that food will get stuck if you have a bridge implant. A single crown implant should be ok if you clean it regularly.
If you’re referring to the “all-on-4” implant supported denture- then yes you will definitely get food under it.  If you are referring to a single implant, then no, if it is placed and restored properly, you shouldn’t have any “ food trap” issues. 

Griffin Cole DDS NMD
You would floss around the implant crown pretty much like a regular tooth
Not if they are done properly