How To Care For Dentures – Tips On Proper Maintenance
Are you wondering how to care for dentures? It’s only natural to feel anxious about keeping them and your oral health in good shape if you’ve just been fitted with your first set.
Whether you have partial or complete (full) dental prosthetics, regular and proper care is essential to keep them clean and free from bacteria and stains.
Knowing how to care for them can keep your dentures and mouth healthy. We’ve compiled a few handy tips explaining handling, storing, and cleaning false teeth.
When to clean your dental prosthetics
Learning how to care for your dentures isn’t different from caring for your natural teeth.
Keeping them as clean as possible is essential to avoid losing more teeth or developing sore, inflamed gums or fungal or bacterial infections. Caring correctly for them will help you maintain good oral health.
It’s best to get into a routine so that cleaning your prosthetics becomes commonplace. We recommend removing them after every meal.
But, if it’s not possible to clean your dentures after every meal, make sure that you brush and rinse them at least once a day.
How should I clean them?
Dental appliances are quite fragile and may easily break if you drop them.
As a top tip, we recommend cleaning them over a folded towel or basin of water just in case you drop them.
Remove the dental prosthetics from your mouth and brush all surfaces, including the one that comes into contact with gums.
(This is particularly important if you use dental adhesive) Use a soft-bristle toothbrush and a non-abrasive denture cleaner, but never toothpaste.
You can also use liquid hand soap or a mild bar of soap.
Scrubbing too hard could cause grooves in the surfaces, so take care.
Remember to clean your natural teeth if you have any remaining to maintain good oral health, and brush the roof of your mouth and tongue.
Finally, rinse them under cold running water to ensure they are clean before placing them back in the mouth.
Should I remove them at night?
Our dentists advise patients to remove their prosthetics at night to give their gums a chance to relax.
Furthermore, clinical studies show that sleeping with false teeth in the mouth doubles the risk of pneumonia in older adults.
What about soaking dentures?
It’s good practice to soak them overnight using a proprietary cleaning solution daily.
Soaking in a cleansing solution helps remove stubborn stains and plaque, eliminates bacteria, disinfects your dentures, and leaves them feeling fresh and clean.
If you notice a build-up of stains or plaque, ask your dental team to clean your dental appliances.
Like natural teeth, dental prosthetics can pick up stains daily, especially if you smoke or drink a lot of coffee, tea or red wine.
Storing
They need to be kept moist, or they can dry out. There is also a risk of them warping if you place them in hot water.
If you’re not wearing your prosthetics, they should be kept in water at room temperature or in a cleaning solution.
Top tip: Keep them out of children’s and pets’ reach. Kids love to mess around with it, and dogs like to chew them!
Maintain good oral health.
Like with natural teeth, it’s vital to regularly visit the dentist to have your mouth and dental appliances professionally cleaned.
Should dentures become loose, seek help from your Northbridge dentist right away. Ill-fitting prosthetics can cause irritation, sores, and infection.
Hopefully, the above information has helped you understand how to care for them. But don’t forget the importance of visiting your dentist even if you have limited or no teeth.
Our dental team can diagnose mouth conditions, oral infections, and even oral cancer at the earliest stages.
Dentures in Northbridge
Remember, proper care ensures your dentures stay comfortable and your smile bright.
Don’t hesitate to contact your Northbridge dentists for any questions or concerns about the maintenance routine. Your smile deserves the best care!
If you need more information, we’re here to help. Why not book online with My Local Dentists Northbridge for all your oral health needs?
Call us at (02) 8318 5966 or visit us at Shop 20A Northbridge Plaza, 79-113 Sailors Bay Road in Northbridge.