January 22, 2020
Cleaning your dentures, whether partial or complete, is an essential aspect of oral hygiene. In fact, you need to follow a specific cleaning routine so that your dentures do not become a cause for dental disease. Food particles not only stick to your teeth but are also likely to get trapped under the dentures. These will rot faster and cause bad breath, sores and inflammation in your mouth. Remember you also need to brush your natural teeth, gums and tongue before putting on your dentures so that harmful bacteria do not remain in the mouth.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you need to handle your dentures carefully as they can get damaged easily. Make sure to keep a towel beneath your hands as you clean the dentures as they can break or get bent if you drop them accidentally. As an alternative you can fill the basin with water so that the dentures do not hit the surface if they are dropped. Denture attachments can also get bent on rough handling making it necessary to get them repaired.
Dentures should be brushed clean at least once daily. Always use a soft bristle brush meant specifically for cleaning dentures as a hard bristle toothbrush can leave scratches and wear them off faster. If you use denture adhesive then you need to remove the adhesive also while brushing the dentures as well as from your mouth to prevent rotting.
You can use water, toothpaste or gel meant particularly for dental prostheses. Do not use common abrasive toothpastes, whitening pastes or bleaching agents as they can damage the dentures. Cleaning agents like baking soda, vinegar or bleach should also be avoided. They can scratch the surface of the dentures or bleach the color of the denture making them unsightly. Remember the acrylic used for making dentures is much softer than the enamel of natural teeth.
Soak them in denture solution or plain water when not in use as dried dentures become brittle and are more likely to crack or break. If your denture has metal components do not use a solution that contains chlorine as they will get tarnished. Ask your dentist for an appropriate soaking solution.
You should rinse your dentures before putting them on so that no soaking solution remains on them. These solutions have chemicals that can harm your health. But never use hot water as it can damage the acrylic dentures causing them to lose shape.
Dentures should also be rinsed with water after every meal so that food debris does not remain stuck to them. Rinsing under running water will ensure that no food particles or soaking solution remains on the denture. Also rinse your mouth before wearing the dentures again for a total fresh feeling.
Remember to brush your natural teeth, gums and tongue with ordinary toothpaste so that bacteria do not remain in the mouth so as to safeguard overall oral hygiene as well as to maintain fresh breath. You need to clean your mouth even if you have complete dentures and no natural teeth.