Caring For Your Dentures
As it does on natural teeth, plaque tends to form on dentures. If it is not removed daily, your dentures will not look proper, you may experience profound denture odors, and your health could be at risk. So, it is very important to clean your dentures every day. We recommend this basic list for caring for your dentures:
Daily Cleaning Routine
- Clean your dentures over a sink filled with water so that if you drop them they will not break against the sink basin.
- Rinse your dentures thoroughly in water to remove any loose food particles. Be careful not to use hot water because it can warp your dentures.
- Use a denture cleaner or paste, such as Denture Creme. Conventional toothpastes such as Colgate or Crest are not designed to clean your dentures. In fact, they could damage your dentures and the denture teeth.
- Use a moistened denture brush (not a tooth brush) to clean all the surfaces of your dentures. Be very careful not to brush hard, this could lead to erosion of the denture components (acrylic, metal, porcelain)
- Soak your dentures in one tablet of Polident or Efferdent for a minimum of a 1/2 hour. Overnight soakings are acceptable as well.
- Rinse your dentures in fresh running water to remove all traces of the denture cleanser. Do not use hot water.
- Use a soft bristled toothbrush to brush your remaining natural teeth, gums, tongue, and palate before reinserting your dentures. This will remove plaque from your mouth, stimulate blood circulation, and help in maintaining your good oral health.
- Rinse with mouthwash if so desired.
This routine will become second nature to you before you know it. Also remember never to try and adjust your dentures yourself, this could damage your dentures and possibly cause harm to your mouth.