How To Clean Your Dentures, Partial Dentures & Soft Liners
Dentures and soft liners need special care if you want them to look good and last. Naturally, you want clean dentures for oral hygiene, but you also want fresh breath and a sparkling smile. Nonetheless, caring for dentures and cleaning your natural teeth are two different, but equally important tasks.
Complete & Partial Dentures
Clean your complete or partial dentures daily. Don’t wear them around-the-clock unless you are instructed to do so. Constant wear can trap bacteria under the denture and increase jaw bone loss and tooth wear if you clench your teeth while sleeping. If you wear a partial denture, you may loosen your natural teeth.
Soaking
Soak your dentures in a cleaner designed for the job. We recommend Denture Brite denture cleaner, because it outperformed its competitors in a McGill University study. It is proven to reduce microorganisms and remove food, stains, and plaque.
Denture Brite is readily available in many retail outlets including Walmart. Soak them for as little as 20 minutes, or overnight for stubborn stains or tartar build up.
Brushing
After soaking, brush your dentures well using a denture brush and liquid dish soap. Do not use toothpaste or a hard toothbrush, because they are too abrasive.
Denture brushes have soft bristles which do not scratch the surface of the acrylic plastic or porcelain materials. Scratches provide an ideal hiding place for food and bacteria which can lead to denture stains and bad breath.
Household dish soap is a gentle, inexpensive, and safe alternative to denture pastes. Rinse your dentures well before reinserting in your mouth. You may want to line your sink with a wash cloth or towel when you’re cleaning your denture. If you drop them they can crack, chip, or you may break an artificial tooth.
Avoid
Don’t use boiling water to clean your dentures. Too much heat can actually cause them to warp and they may not fit correctly.
Bleach certainly kills bacteria, but it can also change the colour of your dentures and is poisonous to your body. It may linger on your dentures even after rinsing, and bleach can burn the soft tissue in your mouth.
Soft Liners
Soft liners are made of a medical grade silicon material to provide cushion for people that have sensitive gums. Unfortunately, this type of material can accumulate bacteria and fungi if you do not clean your soft liner properly. Soft liners need aggressive brushing with toothpaste and a denture toothbrush. Do not use toothpaste on the dentures themselves only the soft liner.
Total Oral Care
Even if you do not have any natural teeth, you still need to attend to your tongue and gums. Gently brush them with a soft brush and water to remove debris and stimulate circulation.
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If you’re struggling with your dentures, please contact us. Dentures should be comfortable and worry-free. We’re experts in custom-made standard and precision dentures, immediate dentures, partial dentures and dentures on implants. We offer innovative solutions and quality workmanship.
Live your best life and let us perfect your smile.
Brookswood Denture Clinic – Denture & Implant Solutions