FAQ

Brushing: Ideally, your dentures should be cleaned after every meal. If this is impractical, clean them as soon after eating as possible. Plaque is an invisible bacterial film that forms gradually, not only on natural teeth but on dentures as well. Once it hardens, plaque turns into calculus, which is an open invitation to bacteria, irritations, gum disease, digestive problems, bacterial stomatitis, to name but a few of the harmful consequences of inadequate denture hygiene.

To maintain your oral health, maximize your comfort and meet your aesthetic requirements, here is some timely advice from your denturist on the regular maintenance of partial and complete dentures, as well as overdentures on implants.

Always clean your dentures over a basin of water or a damp towel to avoid breakage if you drop them. Hold them gently between thumb and fingers, never squeeze them in your palm. You should use a denture brush and a good denture cleaner or soap, which you can buy at any drugstore. The ideal denture brush has soft bristles and can reach every crevice in your denture. For cleaning, a clear gel or a non-abrasive toothpaste or a mild soap are all appropriate Avoid gritty pastes or powders and use only lukewarm water, never hot. An acrylic surface that has been scratched by an abrasive substance easily absorbs saliva, which carries food particles that cause stains. The result: denture maintenance is much more difficult. Gently brush your denture over its entire surface, paying special attention to the areas around the teeth and to the areas that come in contact with your gum tissue.

Brushing too vigorously, using an abrasive paste, or a brush with hard bristles each bring their own problems. Including the dulling of your artificial teeth, premature wear, and tear of your dentures, or thinning of the acrylic lining which affects the fit of your dentures.

It is also recommended that you gently brush your tongue, gums and the roof of your mouth with a moistened, soft-bristle brush. This daily one-minute massage stimulates your circulation and tones your gum tissue while ridding your mouth of bacteria.

Polishing: Polishing is a professional technique employed by your denturist to make your denture look like new. Using specialized buffing tools, your denturist restores the glossy surface finish of your denture, while eliminating the tough stains that elude regular maintenance. Polishing is an economical step that takes just a few minutes and is recommended once or twice a year, as needed.

The denture you are wearing was made and adjusted to fit your mouth at a particular time in your life.

Rinsing: Always rinse your denture thoroughly under warm running water before putting it back in your mouth or before soaking it. Making this a habit will save you from swallowing any cleaning solution, as well as from contaminating your soaking solution. It is also recommended that you rinse your mouth frequently to rid if of proliferating bacteria. This also helps keep your breath fresher longer. Rinsing your mouth with salt water can have an appreciable therapeutic effect.

Soaking: Prolonged exposure of your denture to the air can discolor it and dry out the acrylic, making it brittle. When you remove your denture for the night, keep it in a covered container, filled with warm water or a special soaking solution.

Never use bleach to clean or soak your denture. It can weaken the structure of the denture and discolor the acrylic. In any case, bleach will not work as a whitening agent, since the color of artificial teeth is integrated throughout the tooth structure.

There are many effective denture cleansers available on the market today. They come in the form of creams, powders, and tablets. You may have to experiment to find which works best for you.