Frequently Asked Questions
How should I care for my dentures?
Caring for your dentures is not difficult, but it does take a little time and effort each day. With regular maintenance and daily attention, your dentures can stay looking as fresh and new as the day you first got them.
1. Cleaning
- Clean your dentures gently. You may use a soft toothbrush – never hard – and always keep brushing to a minimum.
- There are inexpensive electrosonic denture baths and specialty cleaning products available from your denturist. These products are generally very economical and remove the need for brushing.
- When cleaning your dentures, do so over a sink partially full of water, or drape a soft towel in the sink basin. This will serve to minimize breakage in the event that you accidentally drop your dentures.
- Never use hot water as this will warp your dentures. Lukewarm water from the tap will do just fine.
- Keep dentures in clean, cold water when they are not being worn.
- Denture teeth are just as susceptible to the destructive effects of plaque as natural teeth. Once plaque hardens into calculus, it can present an irresistible invitation to bacterial problems, gum disease and irritations, and a range of digestive problems. Daily denture care and annual professional cleanings will help to maintain your oral health and appearance.
2. Oral care
- Each time you remove your dentures for cleaning, some care and attention should be paid to your gums and ridges.
- Using a clean finger, massage your gums, both upper and lower, for several minutes. (This can also be done with a clean, soft toothbrush.) This serves to stimulate blood flow to the area which helps promote healthy gums and can prevent decay.
- You can also rinse your mouth once a day with warm salt water to heal any chafing or rubbing caused by the dentures or by daily activities.
- Most importantly, remove your dentures each night to allow the tissue and oral structures supporting the dentures some rest. It has been proven that patients who never remove their dentures have a higher risk of oral cancer, an increased bacterial count in the mouth, and excessive damage to the tissue and ridges that result in premature looseness of the dentures.
- Medication can affect denture fit and wearability. Be sure to discuss all prescription and non-prescription medications with your denturist.
3. Breakage
- While your denturist has used the best materials available in the construction of your dentures, this does not mean that they are indestructible. If too much force is placed upon them they will break.
- In the event that you cannot find the time to make an appointment with your denturist immediately, the broken denture will either have to be tolerated for a while, or --- if it causes serious discomfort or no longer functions --- you will need to stop wearing it.
- It may be wise to consider having a duplicate set of dentures made or to save your last set of dentures as a back-up.
4. New denture bases
- Over time, your ridges will naturally shrink as the bone recedes and supporting tissues change. This change will be more rapid with some patients than with others and is affected by the condition of your health and the protective care of your ridges.
- When this resorption progresses to the point where your dentures are too loose to be worn, or where your facial appearance becomes noticeably changed, you should make an appointment with your denturist to have your dentures rebased or relined.
5. Annual examination
- At least once a year, make an appointment with your denturist for a thorough examination of your entire oral cavity.
- Examinations allow your denturist to correct any problems resulting from shifting of the dentures, undue pressure on supporting ridges, or damage to oral structures and bony projections.
- Because the conditions of a person's mouth change over time while dentures do not, a denture cannot do its job properly for more than five to seven years. Wearing dentures that are much older can cause changes in your mouth that are often irreversible.