With proper care and regular (at least once per year) dental checkups, your dentures will be a healthy, natural part of your life. Find helpful denture care tips for cleaning dentures to keep your smile looking its best.
Cleaning Dentures
Plaque can form on dentures, just like natural teeth. If they’re not removed every day, your dentures may look less white and bright. It is also important to clean your dentures with a denture brush and soak them in a cleanser solution daily to avoid odor.
1. Clean your dentures over a sink filled with water to avoid damage if you dropthem.
2. Rinse dentures thoroughly in warm water to remove any loose food particles.
3. Use a denture cleanser. (Conventional toothpaste, bleach, vinegar and soap are not designed for denture cleaning and could, in some cases, cause damage. Scratched dentures will harbor unsightly plaque bacteria, causing denture odor. Harsh products like bleach may even turn the pink parts of your dentures white.)
4. Moisten a denture brush (not a soft-bristle toothbrush) to clean all surfaces of your denture gently. Brushing too hard can damage any plastic or metal parts. Rinse and brush in clean, warm water.
5. Brush your gums, tongue and natural teeth with a fluoride toothpaste before reinserting your dentures. This will help remove plaque from your teeth, stimulate circulation in your mouth and help maintain good oral health.
6. Rinse with a mouthwash after brushing to give your mouth a refreshed feeling.
Removing Your Dentures
1. Swish your mouth with warm water or a mouthwash.
2. Fill the sink with warm water to avoid breaking the dentures if they aredropped.
3. Remove your top denture by placing your thumb against your front teeth and press upward and outward toward your nose.
4. Remove your lower denture by slowly pulling on it while applying a rocking motion.
Professional Maintenance
Visit your dental professional regularly, as recommended by the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP). Rely on him or her for advice and answers to specific questions about your oral care. Even with the best care, natural changes in your mouth may make it necessary to have your dentures remade after a number of years. The bony ridge that your dentures rest on shrinks over time. Dentures should be refitted every few years by relining or rebasing, and new dentures should be made every five to 10 years. Report any change in the way your dentures work or feel to your dentist or prosthodontist. Your oral care professional can tell you whether an adjustment, a relining or new dentures are needed.
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