How to Clean Dentures and Other Denture Care FAQs
People often come to us at the Rosenberg Dental Group asking how to clean dentures. At times, people even ask whether they need to clean them at all. This is because there’s an unfortunate myth out there that with dentures you never have to worry about your teeth again. However, the truth is that you still need to worry about your oral health.
Your new “teeth” can still harbor the same microorganisms that natural teeth can. Moreover, they also pick up stains and begin to look dirty after a while, just like natural teeth. For appearance and health, it’s best to keep a denture care regimen.
How to Clean Dentures?
Both removable partial and full dentures require proper care. Here’s how to clean dentures to keep them free of stains and looking great.
After Eating: Remove and Rinse
It’s important to run water over your dentures after eating in order to remove any food debris and other loose particles. We recommend keeping a tool on the counter or ink the sink so that they don’t break in the event your drop them.
Handle with Care
Never bend or damage the plastic or the clasps of your dentures as you clean them.
Clean Your Mouth, Too
With a soft-bristled toothbrush for natural teeth, clean your tongue, cheeks, and the roof of your mouth. If you used any sort of denture adhesive, remove it from your gums.
Brush Dentures Daily
It’s essential to remove and gently clean your dentures at least once every day. Soak them and brush them using a soft-bristled toothbrush along with a non-abrasive cleanser. This will help you remove food, plaque, stains, and any deposits.
If you use an adhesive on your dentures, be sure to clean the grooves that fit against your gums in order to get any leftover adhesive or residue. It’s also important to note that you should never use denture cleansers on the inside of your mouth.
Soak Your Dentures Overnight
Typically, dentures need to stay moist to maintain their shape. Overnight, you should place your dentures in water or in a mild denture solution. If you have any questions about how to clean dentures and store them overnight, feel free to ask your Rosenberg dentist!
Rinse Thoroughly Before Putting Them In Your Mouth
This is especially true for those who use a denture-soaking solution. That’s because those solutions often contain harmful chemicals that can make you sick if swallowed.
Schedule Regular Checkups with Your Rosenberg Dentist
Once we provide your dentures and show you how to clean dentures, we can recommend how often you should visit to have your dentures examined and cleaned professionally. With proper maintenance and regular checkups, we help to ensure a proper fit in order to prevent any slippage or discomfort. Additionally, we’ll check your overall oral health to see how you’re doing.
Loose Fit? See Us ASAP!
If your dentures become loose, schedule an appointment immediately. When dentures are loose, they can cause irritation, infections, and sores to develop in the mouth.
How to Clean Dentures: What to Avoid
Here are a few key things to avoid when you clean your dentures:
Abrasive Cleaning Materials
It’s important to avoid strong cleansers, harsh toothpastes, and any stiff toothbrushes. These are far too abrasive and can damage your dentures. Look for a denture brush and denture-specific cleaning solutions.
Whitening Toothpastes
The toothpastes marketed as whitening pastes typically contain peroxide. This won’t really help when it comes to denture care.
Products Containing Bleach
Avoid bleaching products in denture care because they can actually weaken dentures and start to change their color.
Additionally, don’t soak dentures with metal attachments in any solution that contains chlorine. Chlorine can corrode and tarnish the metal.
Hot Water
When you need to clean your dentures, never use hot or boiling water. This can cause parts of your dentures to warp and change shape, leading to a loose fit.
How to Clean Your Dentures: The Risks of Improper Maintenance
Dirty dentures come with a handful of associated risks. For most people, the most compelling consequence is that they look dirty. However, when you don’t know how to clean dentures, it can lead to far more harmful risks.
Fungal Infections
The biggest risk for pain and discomfort when it comes to unclean dentures is “thrush,” a fungal infection. This is an overgrowth of Candida albicans, a fungus typically occurring between the denture and the roof of the mouth.
This fungal infection is a common occurrence for patients with dry mouths and patients who don’t regularly remove their dentures. It causes inflammation which leads to tender gums. When this occurs, the treatment requires a long period of rest for the gums (meaning you cannot wear dentures) and an anti-fungal medication.
Cosmetic Changes
When you don’t know how to clean dentures, it can lead to cosmetic changes. This includes stains that alter the color of the denture.
When they occur, patients often do more harm to the denture attempting to remove the stains than they would in preventing them. This is due to aggressive cleaning that causes abrasions, shifting the shape and appearance of the dentures.
More Questions About How to Clean Dentures?
If you still have questions about how to clean your dentures, call our team at the Rosenberg Dental Group! We are more than happy to work with our patients and help them maintain their oral health with good denture care.
Considering dentures?
We can work with you to explore all the options available for your missing teeth, including dentures, dental implants, and dental bridges.
A healthy smile is just a click away! Call us or email us today to have your questions answered or schedule your next appointment.