How Should I Care For My Dentures?

4 Denture Care Best PracticesYou’re missing teeth, a situation that needs to be quickly rectified or shifts can occur within your jawbone. After discussing things with your dentist and also examining your own budget, you’ve decided that dentures are the way to go. Getting the dentures in there will prevent any remaining teeth from moving in an attempt to close any gaps in your mouth.

This is not a scary process, especially with the progress that has been made over the years with precise custom dentures available… and it takes a fraction of the time to create them than in the past. Ultimately, you will find that you can eat better as well as talk more clearly. It’s important to keep them in great condition, though. That way, you can help ensure that they last for the 10 years that they are supposed to.

Here are some things to consider about taking care of your dentures.

Clean Your Dentures Daily

This has to be part of your daily denture routine. Do not even think about skipping it or relegating it to every-other-day. If you miss a day, that allows bacteria to form on the dentures. This can lead to gum infections if you are not careful. Ideally, you would brush them after every meal, but if not, then be sure to do it before you go to bed, since that will leave them clean. Also clean out your mouth, since that will remove any food debris or bacteria.

What kind of brush should you use? A soft-bristled one. Also, do not use regular toothpaste. That can be too harsh and abrasive on the denture material. There are ones specifically made for cleaning dentures. Avoid ones with whitening properties or bleach – both can damage the dentures. When you brush the dentures, be sure to not push down too much or scrub too vigorously – that can also damage the dentures. You’re brushing the dentures, not scrubbing a floor.

Soak Your Dentures Nightly

Here is Part Two of the Do Not Skip This part of denture care. Before you go to bed, you need to put the dentures in a specially-made solution that will sterilize the dentures and also ensure that they stay moist and don’t dry out. You can’t just put them in a glass of water. The solution is what can kill bacteria that lingers on the dentures over the course of day. This can prevent infection.

The reason that the dentures need to be moist is that if they dry out, then they can crack much more easily. So, soak those dentures nightly or run the risk of having to make an emergency trip to the dentist to have them repaired. Filling up a cup with the solution and then putting the dentures is easy and should quickly become part of your nightly ritual. You need to rinse them off in the morning or the solution could make you feel sick.

Handle Your Dentures Carefully

While your dentures are generally sturdy – they can handle a bulk of your chewing and talking, after all – it’s still surprisingly easy to break them. Which is why you have to be diligent in carefully taking them out of your mouth and carrying them around. Treat them like the fragile things they are. Don’t put them on the edge of a table, for example. Even a short fall onto a carpeted floor can be disastrous.

Another way to keep your dentures safe is to avoid putting them in a napkin or a paper towel. That way, you minimize the risk of having them accidentally thrown out. Do you have children or grandchildren or pets? Keep the dentures away from them – they may mistake them for a toy… and they may become an easily-broken “toy.” All it takes is some mindfulness of your surroundings.

Quickly Assess What Any Issue Is

Something did happen to the dentures. OK. Speed is of the essence here. Quickly figure out what caused the problem. Is it minor? Then you can glue the piece back until you can see a dentist. There are repair kits available at pharmacies. Is it broken or cracked? Do not try to repair it yourself. You will not be able to get it to a state that is workable. Make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible. If you try to fix it, you may turn it into something that requires a new set of dentures to be made. That can be expensive.

Many people have dentures. It just takes a bit of getting used to and as soon as you do these things for a week or so, it will become second nature. On the other hand, you need to see a dentist if any problems arise, since waiting can lead to worsening discomfort and even infection. Sometimes a simple re-line is all that is needed.

Do you live in the Columbus, Ohio area? Come to US Dental Medical. The staff are thoroughly knowledgeable about dentures. They do everything in their in-house dental lab and will gladly guide you through the entire process. Give them a call today to make an appointment – 614-252-3181.

Published By:
US Dental and Medical Care
949 E Livingston Ave,
Columbus, OH 43205
Phone: (614) 252-3181
Website: https://usdentalmedical.com