After your Hybrid treatment has been completed Dr. Alecia Hardy and our team will provide you with instructions to help you recover and learn how to care for your Hybrid and keep it in good condition. If you have any questions about Hybrid in Frisco, Texas, or to schedule an appointment with our doctor at Frisco Dental Implant Center, Call 214-833-9115.

Hybrid Home Care maintenance Instructions

Once your Hybrid treatment has been completed it is very important to use super-floss at least once a day, however, two or three times a day is recommended. We especially encourage using super-floss at night to get rid of bacteria and food debris that may have collected during the day; salivary flow decreases at night. We recommend that patients initially use a magnifying mirror in a well-lit area when flossing to lessen frustration.

Patients should then use any or a combination of the following suggested aids:

• Proxibrush (if it fits)
• Soft Pick
• End-tuft brush
• Rubber tip

We recommend brushing with a manual brush or an automatic brush such as the Sonicare-Flexcare brush, which has to different size brush heads.

Brush the top surface of your tongue as it is a rough surface and bacteria collects on the surface and comes off onto the teeth.

Rinse twice a day with Listerine.

All aids should be lubricated by dipping in Listerine. A non-abrasive toothpaste should be used when brushing.

All steps should be performed in this order three or more times per day.

Hybrid Instructions

Your Hybrid prosthesis has been designed specifically to restore full dental function. The material used is resin, supported by a chrome cobalt frame, and can withstand “Normal Function.”

For the first three months after your Hybrid has been inserted, your implant, supporting the Hybrid, is still considered to be in the healing phase. Care should be taken to function at a reduced level, avoiding any foods requiring heavy chewing.

Examples of foods to avoid:

• Bagels and hard, crusty bread
• Raw carrots or other hard vegetables
• Biting into apples
• Anything that requires firm tearing or chewing pressure

After the initial three months of having your Hybrid, you can start normal chewing function. You should always avoid anything that is as hard as or harder than your teeth. Examples are listed below. The most damaging are ice, bones and pits.

Failure of these materials is always a possibility. There aren’t materials appropriate for the mouth that are indestructible. The mouth can produce a biting force in excess of 700 pounds per square inch. Common sense should always be applied when eating. Implants are fused to the bone, therefore allowing no give. This is unlike natural teeth, which have a shock absorber type ligament attached to them, allowing a slight give when biting or chewing. Eating foods that require excessive biting force will fatigue the materials over time.

If you have a failure of materials, such as a chipped tooth or a crack in the bridge, a repair will be necessary. Your Hybrid is under warranty for three months from insertion for such issues. After the initial three-month period the cost of repairs will be your responsibility.  Please ask our staff about the extended warranty options with the Dental Warranty program.

Foods to avoid:

• Gum
• Hard nuts (such as almonds or hazelnuts – we have seen numerous fractures caused by almonds)
• Hard or sticky candy
• Ice
• Bones (chicken wings, pork chops, ribs, etc.)
• Popcorn (the kernels are too hard)
• Hard or touch breads (i.e., bagels)
• Hard pretzels
• Beef jerky
• Fruit pits

Other habits to avoid:

• Biting fingernails
• Tags
• Thread
• Opening a package with teeth
• Chewing on anything that is not food-related

We never want your teeth in an edge-to-edge position where there is force applied; you risk fracturing a tooth or the resin part of your Hybrid.

Wearing a night guard, if one has been given to you, is very important, especially when sleeping. It protects your teeth from habits such as clenching and grinding, which can cause wear or even fracture of a tooth or teeth. Maintenance of the night guard is to brush and rinse it upon removal.

Continued Hybrid Maintenance

Upon completion of your Hybrid prosthesis it is very important to be seen by the hygienist for continued maintenance ever three to four months. A final panoramic X-ray will be taken after your implant surgery to determine the baseline bone level, then follow-up X-rays will be taken one year after completion and every one year thereafter unless a problem presents.

A recall hygiene appointment should be scheduled every three months.

It is important to maintain that schedule; it may be difficult to be meticulous in cleaning underneath the Hybrid prosthesis. The hygienist has better access to removing the bacteria that may accumulate under and around your bridge. Hygiene instructions may need to be modified for better plaque control. It is also important to bring your night guard to your appointment to be inspected for wear.