Rules for a Rewarding Smile: How to Care for Your Dentures

Whether some or all of your teeth are missing, partial and complete dentures offer a solution that results in a rewarding smile. But just because your new dentures aren’t
natural doesn’t mean you don’t have to care for them. Here’s how you should do so.

Clean Your Dentures Every Day

Like natural teeth, dentures can become stained, build tartar and gather bacteria. And dentures with plague can result in problems with the tissues underneath, leading to severe irritation and infection. To prevent unsanitary and painful problems with your dentures, brush them with a soft-bristled toothbrush while using hand soap, a mild dishwashing detergent or a non-abrasive toothpaste.

Give Your Dentures a Rest

Dentists recommend that you take out your dentures before going to sleep for the night. This allows your mouth’s tissues to recover from wearing them throughout the day. If you’re unable to do so at night, take out your dentures during another time of the day for at least six hours – eight is optimal. If your dentures have metal clasps, remember to soak them in warm water. If not, you can soak your dentures in a half-water, half-vinegar solution if you don’t want to use a denture cleanser.

Visit Your Dentist for Regular Checkups

Whether it’s replacing old dentures that have become loose, adjusting new ones that cause pain or just going in for a regular checkup, visiting your dentist when you have dentures is as important as when you have natural teeth. By ignoring the dental office, a sore could become cancerous – and that’s not a risk worth taking!