Tips for Oral Hygiene When You Have Dentures

Some people think it is easier to maintain good oral hygiene with dentures because there are little or no more natural teeth to clean. However, oral health goes beyond just keeping teeth clean, because the gums are still at risk of infection and disease.

Tips for maintaining good oral hygiene when you have dentures

Even though dentures are not real teeth and cannot decay, they still have to be properly taken care of to prevent oral hygiene issues. These are some of the best ways to maintain good oral hygiene with dentures.

Clean your gums regularly

Practicing good oral hygiene when wearing dentures begins with the daily cleaning of the mouth and gums. Dentists recommend using a wet washcloth to clean the gums after taking the dentures out to get rid of food particles, bacteria and denture adhesive on the gums. Non-alcoholic mouthwash can also be used to rinse the mouth and kill bacteria.

Clean the dentures daily

Dentures spend a great deal of time in the mouth on a daily basis and go through the same rigors that natural teeth do. They should be cleaned on a daily basis like natural teeth, but in this case, without toothpaste, which can ruin dentures. They should be cleaned with warm water or a denture solution.

Soak dentures overnight

This is the best way to keep dentures clean because the soaking helps get rid of the germs that have accumulated on them during the day. The dentures should be cleaned with a toothbrush first before being soaked overnight.

Remove dentures before going to bed

Wearing dentures to sleep is a quick way to damage them. It is also a good way to damage gum tissue because the pressure from chewing and keeping the dentures in all day damages the gum tissues and can lead to other oral health problems.

Rinse dentures after each meal

Eating with dentures leads to food particles being stuck between the artificial teeth and the formation of plaque on the surface of the teeth. If the particles and plaque remain on the dentures for a while, it can lead to serious gum disease like periodontitis if the plaque hardens and turns into tartar. This can be prevented by rinsing the dentures after every meal.

Handle dentures with care

Dentures are not very durable and need to be handled with care, especially when it comes to cleaning them. To protect the dentures from damage when they are taken out, the sink should be filled with water so the dentures do not break if they fall in. The sink can also be lined with a folded towel to soften the fall if the dentures are dropped while being removed or being cleaned.

Conclusion

Maintaining your oral health is important, even if your natural teeth have been replaced with dentures. If you have dentures and need more tips on how to maintain your oral health and prevent them from getting damaged, ask your dentist to give you advice during your next appointment.

Request an appointment here: https://www.esdmke.com or call Eastside Dental at (414) 888-4000 for an appointment in our Milwaukee office.

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