Advanced Smile Dentistry Marks Dental Hygiene Month With Implant Care Guide

Implants cannot get cavities, but the surrounding gums and bone still need daily care. New guidance on cleaning implants and scheduling maintenance visits.

TOMS RIVER, NJ, UNITED STATES, October 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Advanced Smile Dentistry today released patient guidance on cleaning dental implants at home and why implant maintenance visits matter after treatment, marking National Dental Hygiene Month, which the American Dental Hygienists’ Association observes each October.

The guidance responds to a common assumption among implant patients. Because a dental implant cannot develop a cavity, many patients believe it needs less care than a natural tooth. The practice developed the guidance for patients in Toms River and surrounding Ocean County communities who are completing or planning implant treatment.

“The implant itself will never get a cavity. The gum and bone around it can still get inflamed, and that tissue is what keeps the implant in place,” said Dr. David Basar, DDS, lead dentist at Advanced Smile Dentistry. “Patients put a lot of time into getting their implants. Daily cleaning and regular visits are how they protect that result.”

Dr. Basar’s concern has formal names. The 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions, organized by the American Academy of Periodontology and the European Federation of Periodontology, defined two peri-implant conditions: peri-implant mucositis, which is inflammation of the soft tissue around an implant, and peri-implantitis, which also involves loss of the supporting bone. The workshop described both as associated with plaque buildup around the implant.

At home, implant care is similar to caring for natural teeth, with a few tool changes. According to Dr. Basar, most patients do well brushing twice a day with a soft-bristled or electric toothbrush and a low-abrasive toothpaste, and cleaning around each implant daily with floss or interdental brushes designed for implants. A water flosser can help reach areas around the implant posts that a brush misses.

Patients with a full-arch fixed bridge have one additional step. Because the bridge sits over the gums and is not removed at home, food and plaque can collect underneath it. Dr. Basar said these patients should clean the space between the bridge and the gums every day, usually with a water flosser or a thicker implant floss threaded under the bridge.

Professional maintenance covers what home care cannot. During a maintenance visit, the dental team checks the gums around each implant, reviews the bite, and cleans the implant and restoration with instruments that do not scratch implant surfaces. For patients with a fixed bridge, the bridge may be taken off periodically so the implants and their underside can be cleaned and inspected.

Dr. Basar said the interval between visits depends on the patient’s oral health and type of restoration, and is often every three to six months. He added that early changes around an implant are often painless. “Bleeding when brushing, swelling, or a bad taste near an implant are reasons to call the office rather than wait for the next visit,” he said. “Problems around implants are much easier to manage when they are found early.”

The practice recommends that implant patients ask at each visit how their gums look around the implants, which cleaning tools fit their specific restoration, and how often their maintenance appointments should be scheduled.

About Advanced Smile Dentistry
Advanced Smile Dentistry is a dental implant practice based in Toms River, New Jersey, led by Dr. David Basar. The practice focuses on full-mouth dental implants, full-arch dental implants, implant-supported dentures, dental implant surgery, and advanced restorative dentistry. Advanced Smile Dentistry utilizes digital diagnostics, 3D imaging, and personalized treatment planning to support predictable treatment outcomes and long-term oral function. The practice is known for helping patients with extensive tooth loss, failing teeth, and complex restorative needs through comprehensive implant-based solutions and patient-centered care.

Dr. David Basar
Advanced Smile Dentistry
+1 732-561-1770
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