Without teeth, life can be a struggle. Losing your teeth, whether to old age or unfortunate incident, can make even the simplest of tasks more difficult, and can potentially be a blow to your self-confidence.
That’s why cosmetic dentures are a godsend for those suffering from tooth loss and the struggles that accompany it.
Whether you’re just looking into dentures, recently have gotten them, or have had them for years, it’s important to understand what is involved in caring for them.
Removable dentures require attention and special care, just like real teeth do.
Proper care taken with removable dentures can help to increase their longevity for the years to come. Proper denture care is also an incredibly important part of keeping your gums or any remaining teeth healthy.
Check out the following tips and tricks for keeping your false teeth happy and healthy.
You should clean and brush your dentures each day, the same way you would real teeth. Dentures should be cleaned daily to rid them of food, plaque or any other foreign materials. That said, there’s one clear difference between cleaning dentures and cleaning real teeth: you should never brush with toothpaste.
Why? Toothpaste is abrasive and can create microscopic scratches on false teeth, where food and plaque can then grow. Toothpaste can be more damaging to dentures than helpful.
Instead of toothpaste, consider using a mild household soap. These soaps can still do a first-rate cleaning job, especially if they contain an anti-bacterial agent. There are also pastes on the market made especially for dentures and false teeth, but these are often very expensive.
No matter what you use, you’ll want to put it on a soft brush and rinse with warm water afterward. Brushing daily will help to keep your dentures clean and healthy, and will prevent the development of unseemly permanent stains.
It’s also worth noting that cleaning your dentures and cleaning your mouth are two different things. When removing your dentures, it’s still important to brush your remaining teeth, gums, and tongue to keep your mouth healthy. It’s also worth booking regular hygiene appointments, since keeping any remaining teeth and gums healthy matters just as much with dentures as it does without them.
A soft toothbrush or nailbrush is the way to go in caring for your dentures. Hard bristle brushes have the potential to damage or even slowly wear down dentures and false teeth.
According to the NHS, a soft toothbrush is also the safest and most comfortable option for cleaning dentures day to day, and helps avoid the kind of scratching that lets plaque and staining build up.
There are also brushes on the market made specifically for dentures. These brushes are slightly larger than normal toothbrushes and have two different brush heads, a smaller and a larger one for maximum flexibility when cleaning.
These toothbrushes are inexpensive and can usually be found in your local pharmacy with little difficulty.
Taking care of your false teeth means more than just cleaning them well. There are countless stories of dentures breaking due to a lack of proper care or foresight.
One of the most common is dropping dentures into the sink while cleaning them. A fall onto the hard porcelain of a kitchen sink can very easily result in a cracked or damaged set of dentures.
A helpful tip to avoid this is to either stand over a folded towel or fill the sink with water before you begin cleaning your dentures. That way, if an accident happens, your dentures have a safe landing.
Taking precautions like this around your house will help you get a long, lasting relationship with your false teeth. Make sure to leave your dentures somewhere safe and out of reach when you’re not wearing them, there are countless stories of pets or children knocking over, stepping on, or otherwise damaging false teeth left out in the open.
When your dentures aren’t in your mouth or being cleaned, they should be stored safely according to your dentist’s instructions.
Dentures aren’t intended for round-the-clock wear. Removing them overnight should be an essential part of your bedtime routine, not only for your dentures’ sake, but for your own health too.
Removing dentures overnight allows your saliva to do a more efficient job of cleaning and keeping your mouth free of bacteria. According to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, dentures should generally be removed at night to help prevent infection, and overuse can also contribute to issues with jaw bone support and loosening of any remaining teeth.
In even worse cases, it can result in serious oral infections.
It’s essential to let your gums rest. Taking your dentures out when you’re not using them is vitally important to the overall health of your mouth.
When not in your mouth, the healthiest place for a pair of dentures to be is somewhere moist.
Keeping dentures in a moist environment can help to prevent them from drying out or losing their shape. There are many denture cleansing solutions available on the market that are perfect to leave your dentures in for long periods of time.
Besides, these solutions, even just plain water can be a good home for your dentures while they’re out of your mouth.
That being said, you should be careful to never leave your dentures in hot or boiling water, as the temperature could easily warp the shape of your false teeth.
Your dentist should be able to recommend the best soaking methods for your particular set of dentures. Always consult your dentist about proper denture care.
If you’re new to dentures, learning to care for them can involve a bit of a learning curve. But taking proper care and precaution will help keep your mouth and your false teeth looking good and healthy for years to come.
If you’ve lost most or all of your teeth and are weighing up your options, it’s also worth knowing dentures aren’t the only route, dental implants are a fixed alternative worth discussing with your dentist too.
Thinking of making the move to dentures soon? We’d love to help. Jiva Dental is committed to providing the best possible care.
Feel free to contact us with any further denture questions you may have.
