Once you get your new dentures, you start wondering about how to care for dentures!
Caring for your dentures is one of the most important things to keep your smile looking at its best. Cleaning is vital for the health of your dentures and wellness of your gums. Following are some tips that can guide you better on how to take care of your dentures.
Best ways to take care of dentures
How to Remove Your Dentures Easily?
Dentures are fragile. So, make sure you remove your dentures in a correct way. Begin with rinsing your mouth using warm water. It will ease the process of removing dentures. To remove your upper denture, force the thumb against the front teeth, then press up and out. For lower denture, rotate the denture loose and pull it out.
How to Take Care of Dentures?
Always fill the sink with water. Then clean your dentures over the sink just in case they accidentally slip out of your hands. Also you can place a folded towel in sink to avoid breakage. Rinse your dentures thoroughly to remove loose food particles. Either use cool or warm water. Never use hot water.
Clean Dentures Daily, But Not With Toothpaste
Brushing is a key to maintain your teeth. Just like your teeth, you must brush your dentures at least once a day to remove debris and plaque. Plaque is a whitish film containing bacteria that utilize food to get themselves attached to dentures. If not removed, it can cause proliferation of stain and tartar, and cause your gums to become swollen. This will ultimately result in a less secure fit of your denture.
It’s not that easy to get rid of plaque. For this, you must mechanically remove it using a toothbrush. However, a hard bristle toothbrush might be a bit rough on your denture and may cause damage to it.
Therefore, use a regular soft bristle toothbrush and/or a long bristled denture brush that can reach easier into all the hooks and crannies of your denture. Try not to brush haphazardly.
Instead, apply gentle brushing technique over denture surface or else it will cause harm to bend attachments. Dentures are typically removed and cleaned in between meals and right before night sleep.
Things to avoid while cleaning dentures
You should learn some denture care instructions. For this, make sure you don’t use the following cleaning items on your dentures as it will cause harm to it.
Abrasive cleaning items
Caustic solutions and hard-bristle brushes are not recommended on dentures. They will be hurtful to your expensive dentures. It is better to avoid toothpaste, harsh cleansers and rough cleaning technique to prevent dentures from becoming damaged.
Whitening toothpaste
If people are using white toothpaste on their teeth, it doesn’t mean you can use it on your dentures too. They are not safe for cleaning dentures. So, make sure to avoid it.
Products with bleach
Bleach is highly abrasive in nature. Even, it is capable to change color of your denture and weakens its longevity. Some cleaning solutions may also contain bleaching agents that you shouldn’t be using for cleaning your dentures. After all, bleaching agents can impair the metal fixtures of your denture.
Hot water
Hot water is usually not recommended as it can deform the regular shape of dentures and thus affect the perfect mouth fit.
Clean with a denture cleaner
A mild dishwashing solution or hand soap are the best cleaners for dentures. Toothpaste with whitening agents or abrasive chemicals should be avoided at all cost. They cannot do any good except warping the dentures.
Another sophisticated method to clean denture is use of ultrasonic cleaners. It’s a device similar to bathtub, with a cleaning solution in it. You can dip your denture into the cleaner, where movement created by sound waves will force out all the debris and unwanted material.
However, ultrasonic cleaning is not suggested to do on daily basis, unlike thorough brushing. Apart from it, whenever you buy a dental product, be sure it complies with (ADA) Seal of Acceptance as experts identify it as being safe and effective. After all, not everything on the shelves is safe for you.
How to take care of dentures when not wearing them?
Imagine you wore shoes all day, what would you feel going to bed wearing those? Not comfortable, right? Wearing dentures whole day is just like that. Sleeping with dentures for a prolong period can put your health in a serious harm. That’s why it’s really important to remove your dentures before going to bed.
Since denture is not anything natural, so putting inside your mouth 24/7 will create more pressure that your face can sustain. Removing the dentures will allow your gum tissues to relax a bit.
Keep the dentures moist when not in use. By immersing in denture cleanser solution or simply water, it will maintain their shape and won’t warp.
Although, if denture has any metal bridges, avoid putting in cleaning solution because it may rust the attachments. Moreover, your dentist knows better what you should do with your worthy oral accessory. Ask them about how to care for dentures correctly.
Remember about check-ups
If you own dentures, it is better to consult your dentist about how often you should visit them. Typically, the criterion for visit is every six months. Dental visits are crucial for your overall oral health.
There are many oral diseases like cancer prevailing in our society. So, make sure to get examined yourself. This will help you identify earliest signs of any oral disease. Have your teeth professionally cleaned. Make sure your dentures fit inside your mouth perfectly.
Can I adjust or repair dentures?
As soon as you get your dentures from dentist, you will be required to go through couple of follow-up appointments. Never try to adjust your loose-fitting dentures. Always visit a professional dentist to make any necessary adjustment.
Don’t twist any part of metal attachments. By doing so, you can impair its metal structure. If you end up doing it all by yourself, you might lose your expensive denture. For instance, use of glues without any prescription and “Do-it-yourself” repair kits can harm your denture permanently.
Also, loose-fitted dentures can cause irritation on your gums. If you see a breakage in your denture, you must visit a health care provider. While if it’s a minor crack or repair, you will get it the same day. But, for a more complicated repair, you need to wait few days to get it adjusted.
How often dentures need to be replaced?
With time, quality of dentures may get affected. Along with it, your face and jaw shape also get minor tweaks naturally due to age. Owing to this, dentures need to be remade else it will be unfit inside your mouth. To reline it, you must take assistance from your dentist.
Typically, dentures can be used for time span of 5 to 7 years before you face any replacement issues.
Take care of your mouth and gums
Regardless of full or partial dentures, you must brush your teeth with a soft bristled brush. Not only teeth, but according to denture care instructions, you must consider gums, tongue and palate before you place dentures in your mouth. This increases gum circulation and reduces unwanted plaque formation.
Don’t overlook the area beneath denture’s metal clasps. Clean it as plaque accumulates here the most. And if it’s not cleaned, it will lead to tooth decay. In case you wear a partial denture, make sure to remove it then clean your natural teeth.
Give gentle cleaning, resting and massaging routine to your gums regularly. It is recommended daily to rinse mouth with lukewarm salt water. This will sanitize your gums. Also, never ignore what you’re eating. After all, we are what we eat. Maintain a well-balanced healthy diet for a great oral health.