If you have missing teeth, dentures can help restore the look and function of your smile. Dentures can play a crucial role in giving you your smile back. While dentures can replace your teeth, taking care of them is not the same. Therefore, you need to know how to take care of your dentures. Proper care for your dentures can help them last longer and improve your oral health.
Don’t Neglect Proper Cleaning
Just like cleaning your natural teeth, you need to clean your dentures every day. However, the cleaning process may look different. You should regularly clean your dentures to prevent the buildup of plaque and bacteria. Even if you have no remaining natural teeth, bacteria will still grow in your mouth. Therefore, you still need a process to remove it from your mouth.
Even with dentures, you need to maintain good hygiene by brushing your gums, tongue, and remaining teeth. Keeping a proper oral care routine helps prevent gum irritation and maintains your overall oral health. When brushing your gums or dentures, make sure that you use a soft-bristled brush. This will keep you from damaging the surface of your dentures. Scratching your dentures can leave room for bacteria to multiply.
Don’t Neglect Regular Check-Ups
It is crucial to see your dentist often if you have dentures. When you see your dentist, they can evaluate your oral health and your dentures. Regular dental visits ensure your dentures fit properly. Ill-fitting dentures can lead to mouth sores or infections. It can also make it difficult to speak or eat properly. Your dentist will be able to identify and correct problems before they become major concerns.
Avoid Harsh Cleansers
When cleaning your dentures, you should avoid using harsh cleansers. It may be tempting to use a harsh cleaner, thinking that it may get your dentures cleaner. However, they do much more harm than good. Harsh chemicals damage the integrity of your dentures. This means that they won’t last as long before you need a new set.
Examples of harsh cleaners include toothpaste and bleach. Bleach can alter the color of your dentures and weaken the material over time. Additionally, it can be harmful to your health to put dentures in your mouth after using bleach. Toothpaste may seem like a good cleaner. Yet, some toothpaste has mild abrasive particles that can scratch the surface of your dentures.
Damage to the surface of your can increase bacterial growth. Additionally, it can weaken the material over time. You may even see changes in the color of your dentures. So, you should use gentle cleansing agents for your dentures.
Avoid Hot Water
Another element to avoid when cleaning your dentures is hot water. Hot water can warp or distort the shape of your dentures. As a result, this can change the way your dentures fit in your mouth. Your dentist custom-fits your dentures to your mouth. Any change in the fit can hurt your mouth and health. Therefore, you should always use lukewarm water when cleaning or soaking your dentures.