A Dentist’s Guide on Taking Care of Your New Dentures
Apr 30, 2021
New dentures are a huge financial investment. Taking good care of your new dentures is important so your investment lasts a long time. But taking care of dentures isn’t quite the same as taking care of your natural teeth. If you don’t properly care for your dentures, they may dry out and warp. Worse, improper care can breed bacteria and germs or leave chemicals on your dentures that can make you sick.
While it might seem a little overwhelming to take care of your dentures, it’s not as difficult as it seems. There are actually just a few simple steps you need to take to properly care for your dentures.
Taking care of your dentures starts with taking care of your mouth. Even if you’ve had all your teeth extracted and have full dentures, your gums, tongue, and palate still need daily brushing with a soft brush before putting your dentures in.
This brushing gets rid of plaque and stimulates circulation in your mouth, both of which are important to oral health.
Cleaning your new dentures is perhaps the most important part of caring for them because you’ll clean them daily. Cleaning dentures is a little more involved than brushing your natural teeth but is still relatively simple.
The first step to cleaning your dentures is to remove and rinse them with running water after each meal whenever possible. This helps to remove residual food before it can get stuck on or start spreading bacteria or germs throughout your mouth.
If you’re not able to rinse your dentures after each meal, that’s okay. The most important aspect of cleaning your dentures is rinsing them at least once per day and cleaning them with a denture cleaner or other mild soap, such as dishwashing or hand soap, and a soft-bristled brush. This helps to remove stains and plaque. Remember to clean all surfaces of the dentures, not just the teeth.
If you use denture adhesives, it is important to remember to remove any adhesive with warm water and a soft brush (for cream or strip adhesives) or a soft damp cloth (for powder adhesives) before you use the cleaner on them.
Dentures are meant to be worn full-time, but your gums do need a break sometimes. Most people take their dentures out at night. But there may be other times you want to take them out as well. When you’re not wearing your new dentures, it’s critical that you store them properly.
Proper storage of your dentures is as simple as soaking them in water or a denture solution. Simply pour water or your chosen denture solution into a glass or a denture storage container and place your dentures in the container after cleaning them thoroughly.
It’s a good idea to rinse your dentures before you put them in again. If you store them in plain water, this step isn’t as critical. However, if you store them in a denture solution, you must rinse them first to avoid vomiting, burning, or pain from the chemicals used in them.
Ideally, your dentures will last many years. But improper handling of them can shorten their lifespan and force you to invest in new ones much sooner. To keep your dentures safe and in good condition, there are a few simple steps you can take.
First, put them in and take them out over a folded towel, sink full of water, or other soft and giving surface. This can help avoid breaking your dentures if you should lose your grip and drop them.
When you clean them, clean them over the same soft surface you take them out over. Again, this helps to avoid breakage if the dentures are dropped.
Next, always place them in water or denture solution when they’re not in your mouth or being cleaned. This helps avoid drying out and warping, which would make your dentures uncomfortable and maybe unwearable.
Make sure that your dentures are always stored out of the reach of pets and children. Finally, as tempting as it may be to take your dentures out and wrap them in a paper towel or napkin temporarily, don’t do that. Someone may mistake it for trash and throw them away.
Now that you know what to do, it’s time to go over a few things you shouldn’t do. There are some very important things you shouldn’t do when it comes to taking care of your new dentures.
Another important part of taking care of your new dentures is keeping all appointments with your dentist. You may need more than one appointment to have your dentures adjusted and fitted properly to your mouth. It can be tempting to skip these appointments, especially if you have no pain or discomfort. But if your dentures don’t fit properly, you risk mouth sores and ulcers or bleeding gums. Keep all of your appointments so your dentures will fit properly and you’ll feel good about wearing them.
Restorative dentistry, up to and including dentures, helps to keep your mouth healthy. And oral health is critical to the health of the rest of your body. And advancements in dentures have made them a very safe and effective way to restore your mouth, and your smile, to its former glory. Work with the best dental care clinic in Scottsdale AZ to get your mouth healthy and beautiful again.