Millions of people wear dentures. But just like natural teeth, they need to be maintained properly to keep them in excellent condition and to keep the level of oral health of highest quality.
Brushing of Dentures
The first step in denture maintenance is to make sure to remove them every day. Try not to wear them for longer than 24 hours. This is to allow the gums where the dentures are held to be naturally cleansed by the saliva produced in the mouth. After they’re removed, typically at night, dentures need to be brushed with a special denture type toothpaste that’s a little less abrasive on the dentures than traditional toothpaste for natural teeth is. They should be vigorously brushed with a soft to medium firm toothbrush. All of the crevices between each tooth on the set of dentures need to be thoroughly brushed and cleaned. It’s important to spend at least two to three minutes brushing each set of dentures for maximum effectiveness in maintenance and cleaning.
Soaking and Cleaning
After brushing, the dentures should be soaked in a glass of warm but not hot water. It’s best if special dental cleaning tablets are placed in the cup of water and allowed to dissolve. Most tablets state they disinfect 99.9% of denture germs and bacteria within fifteen minutes, but most dentists recommend to leave them in the glass to soak and disinfect for at least half an hour for best results. This soaking process will also help dislodge and wash off any debris stuck between each tooth that was missed when brushing. After soaking and disinfecting, it’s important to thoroughly rinse off the disinfecting solution and water mixture by running the denture under fresh, clean and warm tap water. Then the dentures can be set aside to air dry or be more quickly dried by using a hygienic piece of gauze or sterile strip of a cotton ball to dry them. They can then be allowed to rest in a safe, clean place, usually a separate dry glass, while the person goes to sleep. Then when he wakes up, the dentures will be all ready to be inserted in his mouth again using adhesive denture paste which should be sparingly applied in dabs onto the denture before insertion into the mouth.
Taking Care of Gums
Since the dentures sit directly on the surface of the gums, it’s essential to maintain immaculate oral health not just in the teeth and tongue area but on the gums themselves. This maintenance can be accomplished by using a toothbrush and some regular toothpaste to thoroughly brush the upper, lower and sides of the gums, both the insides and the outsides, all around the areas where the person may still have some natural teeth left if the dentures are the partial type. If they’re full dentures, then the entire gum surface requires brushing of at lest two minutes using a gentle brushing motion. Don’t be too harsh or abrasive on the gums because they can bleed which can cause problems for the dentures themselves. Just brush easily and smoothly for the best maintenance possible.