Dentures are detachable artificial teeth and gums that replace missing natural teeth. Using dentures to replace missing natural teeth can help enhance your ability to talk, eat, and smile.
Dentures are made from materials like resin, acrylic, and porcelain. The design of dentures is usually custom-made to fit the shape of your mouth. You can opt for partial or complete dentures when considering the type.
Partial dentures fill any gaps in the mouth resulting from missing teeth. On the other hand, complete dentures are suitable if you’ve lost all your teeth and need a complete set for either the upper or lower jaw. That said, here are the dos and don’ts of denture care:
The Dos Of Denture Care
It’s crucial to take proper care of your dentures to maintain their integrity and improve the quality of your life. Some of the dos in denture care include the following:
1. Clean The Dentures Regularly
Treat your dentures the same way you would your natural teeth by regularly cleaning them. You can research tips to keep your dentures cleaner to understand the various cleaning methods. For example, using a soft-bristled brush with an ADA-allowed denture cleaner is advisable to clean the dentures daily.
Subsequently, you can use warm water when brushing the dentures. The cleaning technique is simple, using circular motions to brush the dentures and gently paying attention to each area. It’d be best to place the dentures on a counter to ensure you’ve cleaned them properly.
Additionally, you can follow the following steps when cleaning the dentures:
- Remove the dentures carefully and place them on a soft surface where you can’t drop or damage them.
- Rinse the dentures using running water to remove any food particles or debris.
- Brush the dentures using a soft-bristled brush, and employ the abovementioned technique. It’d help if you were careful to avoid using hot water because it can cause dentures to warp.
- Rinse the dentures again to remove any cleaning substances using running water.
- Soak your dentures using a cleaning solution provided or recommended by a dentist. You can also use a mixture of water and vinegar if you don’t have a cleaning solution. However, ensure that you read the soaking instructions thoroughly to be certain of the soaking period.
- Once the soaking is done, rinse to remove all the cleaning solution residue on the dentures.
- Clean your mouth by brushing using a soft-bristled brush or a gauze pad. You should ensure that you clean every part of the mouth, including the gums, the roof of the mouth, and the tongue.
- You can finally rinse your mouth using water or mouthwash to ensure no food particles or debris are left.
If you’re unsure how to clean your dentures, consult your dentist or consultant on the best cleaning techniques.
2. Remove The Dentures Before Going To Bed
Removing your dentures before bed is advisable unless your dentist has recommended otherwise. When the dentures are new, the dentist may recommend keeping them overnight, but once your mouth adjusts, it’d be best to remove them.
One of the reasons why you should remove your dentures before going to bed is to let your gums and jaws rest and recuperate from the pressure of having dentures the entire day. Other reasons why it’s best to remove dentures overnight include the following:
- Promote good oral health: When you remove your dentures daily before bed, cleaning them and your mouth is easy, which prevents oral health issues such as gum disease.
- Prevent bacterial growth: Staying with dentures for a long time can generate a warm and moist environment in the mouth. Such an environment can foster the development of bacteria and fungi, which can cause oral issues. However, removing dentures overnight and letting them dry out prevents the development of dangerous microorganisms.
- Reduce discomfort: While dentures are meant to substitute natural teeth, they aren’t the same as them. They can cause discomfort in the mouth because of the pressure and friction on the gums and jaws. Therefore, removing them overnight alleviates the discomfort and lets your mouth relax.
- Extend the lifespan of your dentures: You can prolong the life of your dentures through proper care and maintenance, which includes removing, cleaning, soaking, and letting them dry out overnight. Such care prevents them from warping and getting a distorted shape.
3. Clean Your Mouth
As mentioned earlier, cleaning your mouth when using dentures is essential to ensure no food particles or loose debris are left behind. Poor oral hygiene can result in issues such as gum disease and bacterial infections.
When you remove the dentures, you can follow the following steps to clean your mouth:
- Rinse the mouth: Use clean water to thoroughly rinse your mouth and remove any food particles or debris.
- Brush the gums and tongue: It’d be best to use a soft-bristled brush to gently brush your gums, tongue, and roof of the mouth. You can also use a gauze pad to clean these areas and remove plaque or bacteria that may have built up in the mouth.
- Rinse with mouthwash: After brushing, you can rinse your mouth, kill bacteria, and freshen your breath. You can also use a saltwater solution in the absence of mouthwash.
- Massage the gums: You can use your fingers or a soft-bristled brush to massage your gums gently. Massaging helps improve blood flow and keep the gums healthy.
These steps can help establish proper oral hygiene, whether or not you’re wearing your dentures.
4. Seek Help For Ill-Fitting Dentures
If your dentures start feeling loose or don’t fit in the mouth, it’d be best to visit the dentist because they can cause damage to your mouth. Some issues you may experience with ill-fitting dentures include sores, pain, and a burning sensation.
Your dentist can help fix the dentures and make them fit while providing care for any damage that may have been caused to your mouth.
The Don’ts Of Denture Care
When taking care of your dentures, here are a few things that you shouldn’t do:
1. Don’t Skip Regular Checkups
You should go for regular dental checkups to preserve proper oral hygiene and ascertain that the dentures are in good condition and still fit. Therefore, you shouldn’t skip any denture checkups for the following reasons:
- Ascertain proper oral health: When you visit the dentist or denture specialist regularly, they can identify any potential issues or health problems like oral cancer or gum disease early. It’s important to initiate an intervention plan early before the condition worsens.
- Maintenance of dentures: Dentures can become worn out or damaged after some time, which affects how they fit and function. Thus, regular dental checkups can help recognize any potential or existing issues in the dentures. That way, the dentist or denture specialist can repair or adjust the dentures on time.
- Ensure comfort: The dentist can ascertain that the dentures are comfortable to wear during your checkups by checking for any signs of discomfort in the mouth and gums.
- Ascertain functionality: Your dentist can check to ensure the dentures function well, and you can speak, eat, and perform other functions well. The dentures can be adjusted or fitted if your normal functions are affected.
- Improve the denture’s lifespan: If you offer proper care and maintenance to your dentures, including regular dental visits, you can improve their longevity. That’s because, during checkups, the dentist or denture specialist ascertains that they’re in good condition and correctly functioning.
You can discuss with your dentist or denture specialist how often your dentures need to be checked depending on the type and individual needs.
2. Avoid Using Sharp Objects
If used, sharp objects such as toothpicks or dental scrapers can damage the dentures and mouth tissue and should therefore be avoided. Sharp objects can crack, break, or misalign dentures, making them impossible to wear. Moreover, the cost of repair and replacements can be high.
Additionally, regularly exposing dentures to sharp objects can cause them to wear and tear, which eventually affects their shape, fit, and function after some time. These misalignments can affect the comfort of wearing dentures daily.
3. Avoid Abrasive Cleaning Materials
Abrasive cleaning materials such as stiff toothbrushes, harsh cleaning solutions, and harsh toothpaste can damage dentures. Moreover, these harsh substances can cause dentures to weather after some use.
In addition, abrasive materials can scratch the surface of the denture, providing a breeding ground for bacteria and food particles. The scratches can also make proper cleaning of the dentures difficult by trapping debris and plaque.
Subsequently, some denture materials, such as acrylic and metal, can be damaged by abrasive cleaning materials. For example, the acrylic resin can be discolored and dull after exposure to abrasive cleaning substances.
4. Avoid Tugging Motions When Eating
Getting used to wearing dentures will take some time, especially when eating. However, you should avoid tugging motions when eating to prevent damaging and chipping the dentures. You can also dislodge or misalign the dentures if you tug when eating.
Subsequently, dentures depend on suction and a proper fit for alignment. Tugging or pulling using forceful motions can break the suction. Once the suction is broken, the dentures will dislodge, which is uncomfortable.
Conclusion
You’ll need to develop a routine to care for dentures properly when you get dentures. Since dentures are customized to fit your needs uniquely, you can discuss with your dentist the best care for them. Further, the dentist can also recommend the best cleaning solutions and alternatives in their absence.
