Whenever I complete denture treatment, I always tell my patients, “there are two times you get a chance to take care of your teeth, once when you have the real ones, and the second time when you get your false ones aka the dentures. So irrespective of how it went the first time, let’s ace it this time”. And most of them fortunately do. Dentures can easily last up to 5 years before they need to be relined or replaced. Here are a few ways to keep your dentures clean, germ- free, functional and as shiny as brand new for their entire shelf life.
Rinse them after every meal: Unlike our natural teeth, after every meal, we will need to get them out to clean. Any food debris stuck on your denture surface will decompose and cause the bad smell. Moreover, unclean dentures can affect gum health seriously. So rinse them with water at the least after every single meal.
As a precautionary measure, keep some soft cloth in the sink. This is to prevent the dentures from breaking in case you drop them. The acrylic ones are the most breakable of all.
Use the right cleaning equipment: Always clean the denture using the denture brush or a super soft-bristled toothbrush. A normal toothbrush can lead to scratches which later on harbor bacteria in them. Also, do not use toothpaste, it contains abrasives and will damage the denture. Instead, you can use denture cleaning solutions. Insider news- a dishwashing liquid, also does a good job when you do not have access to the solutions. ( in case of Valplast and other flexible dentures, special formulations made for flexible dentures are required)
Store them well at night: Before sleeping, wash the dentures well and store them in a clean bowl or the denture container filled with water. Do not let them dry or else they will warp, and keeping them in hot water will also result in warpage. So nothing but room temperature water. Once a week soak them in a denture cleaning solution for a few hours.
Invest in an ultrasonic cleaner for the elderly: Old age comes with a lot of problems like general weakness and inability to hold objects. In such cases, it is better to have an ultrasonic cleaner which makes it possible to have clean dentures irrespective of the physical limitations. You need to just keep the dentures in there, put the switch on and voila, they are spick and span in 5 minutes. Most of the machines come with a timer, so you do not need to remember to put it off.
Go for a regular dental check-up: You could be doing awesome, but you need to see your dentist every 6 months. They will check the tissues underneath and the dentures, their fitting, hygiene everything. Also, this will make sure your dentures get professional cleaning twice a year.
Everything about denture cleaning said it is time we discuss how to get used to these amazing false teeth.
