Daily denture care is important not just for your dentures but your overall health. Alan Delsaut, Denture Specialist in Sudbury provides 3-easy tips for day-to-day denture care, whether partial or full dentures.
Just like your teeth, your dentures, whether full or partial, require day-to-day maintenance to remain clean and white and keep their shape. Quick and easy tips on day-to-day denture care:
Remove your dentures at night
Always remove your dentures overnight to give your mouth a chance to rest. In fact, whenever you aren't wearing your dentures, keep them in water to stop them from drying out or warping. Never use hot water for soaking.
Give your dentures a good soaking
Soak your dentures overnight in either water or a denture-soak. Soaking your dentures will keep them moist and help retain their shape. Be careful though, many denture-soaks contain harmful chemicals, so give them a good rinse before putting them back in your mouth.
Clean and brush your dentures
To clean your dentures, remove them from your mouth and run them under water to rinse off any loose food particles.
Then wet a denture brush or a regular soft-bristle toothbrush and apply denture cleaner. Household cleaners and regular toothpaste are too abrasive and should not be used for cleaning dentures.
Gently brush all surfaces of the dentures including under the clasps where bacteria collect. Be careful not to damage the plastic or bend the attachments. Rinse your dentures well in clean water before placing them back in your mouth.
Brush your gums and tongue as well
While you’re giving your dentures a good clean, brush your gums and tongue as well, but, again only with a soft tooth brush. I recommend to my patients that they also massage their gums with their index finger; this increases blood circulation and keeps the gums healthy.
Always, handle your dentures with care. Never wrap your dentures in a paper towel. This makes them easy to throw out or makes them prone to other mishaps. Your dentures can break if dropped or squeezed too tightly. It's always a good idea to stand over a folded towel or a sink of water when handling your dentures, just in case you accidentally drop them.
If there’s anything I try to impress on my patients is that in addition to day-to-day care, they need to visit a dentist or denturist at least once a year for a check-up. Dentures are only designed to last between 5-7 years. We need to check them for chips, cracks, plaque and the fit.