Proper Denture Care

If you wear dentures, you will want to know the correct way to take care of them. When you care for your dentures properly, you can be certain that your dentures will fit you for a long time and that your mouth will stay healthy, which is an important part of denture care. Here are some tips that can help you take care of your dentures the right way.

Brush and rinse your dentures each day: Just like natural teeth, your dentures need to be brushed. This is so that food particles are removed from the surface and to help keep your gums healthy. Also, just like natural teeth, your dentures can stain from normal eating, smoking and drinking beverages that contain caffeine. You want to make sure that you keep your dentures looking like new. Experts recommend that you use a soft bristle toothbrush and brush with gentle strokes. Using a hard brush can damage the surface of your dentures. If you are unable to brush after a meal, you should at least rinse your dentures after you eat. This helps dislodge food stuck under the dentures.

Be careful handling your dentures: When you wear dentures, you can eat normal foods without worrying about damaging them. However, when you take them out of your mouth, you will want to be especially careful not to drop your dentures or bend them out of place. They are fragile. If you accidentally drop your dentures on to a hard surface they could break, crack or bend out of place.

Use a good quality denture cleaner: There are many over the counter denture cleansers available on the market. When you wear dentures, you want to find one that will work well with the type of dentures you wear. In fact, you can even use regular dish washing liquids to clean your dentures if it is mild. Other products that you may find useful for denture cleaning include ultrasonic cleaners and a denture soaking device. Your dentures will fit inside this type of device and will clean your dentures with a cleaning solution made just for dentures. You can use these products regularly, but they should not replace regular brushing.

Soak your dentures: When you are not wearing your dentures, you should keep them in a glass or cup in water. Your dentures should be kept moist when they are not worn to avoid drying out and losing the shape. Your dentist may recommend a cleaning solution for soaking or may ask you to use regular water depending on the type of dentures you wear. Make sure you never place your dentures in hot water, as this causes them to lose their shape.

If you take good care of your dentures, you can expect them to last you a long while. Your dentist may need to realign your dentures or reshape them from time to time, but proper care helps them last longer. Most denture wearers can expect their dentures to last at least seven years before needing a replacement.