How to Care for Your New Dentures
You have previously undergone a dental procedure, and you are now wearing dentures. Of course, you are still adjusting to your new and improved smile. Truth be told, wearing new dentures are often an overwhelming situation as you have to balance between learning to eat with your new teeth and the proper way to care for them. However, as advised by your dentist, proper care of dentures is essential for both the health of your mouth and the life of your new dentures. In light of this, therefore, we unveil some of the great tips that we think can help you achieve this objective. Take a look at these suggestions below:
1). Avoid eating certain types of foods
Of course, your dentist informed you that certain types of food could be harmful to your new dentures. Yes, that is true! Try to avoid, for instance, biting into corn, chewing gums, and firm fruits like apples. If you must eat these foods, then it is advisable to adopt good eating techniques like chopping them into small pieces.
2). Remove your dentures for a few hours daily
Most of the denture care actions take place at home. Dentists recommend that these new teeth should be removed for one or two hours, if not the entire night. Your mouth needs to have a break from dentures, and studies from some of the most reliable sources show that keeping them in the mouth for extended periods, without a break, poses an increased risk of oral cancer. After removing the dentures, clean your mouth using a soft-bristled toothbrush. Ensure you thoroughly clean every part of the mouth, including the tongue, palate, and cheeks.
3) Handle dentures with great care
When taking out dentures, you should be extremely careful so you don’t drop them. It is recommended that dentures be removed over a sink that is full of water or even over a towel. Ultimately, this provides a soft landing place in case they fall during removal. How much did your new dentures cost? Most likely the cost was between $500 to $2000, so taking great care when removing them saves you from unexpected expenses!
4). Always remove and rinse new dentures after eating
By now, you have figured out the best way to get the sticky adhesive to release so you can remove your new dentures. Care in eating and removal are some of the things to which you should pay attention, but there are other important steps to observe when caring for your dentures. After eating meals and snacks, don’t forget to remove and rinse your dentures by running water over them. This removes any loose particles and food debris.
5). Brush and rinse dentures daily
New dentures must be brushed daily to remove plaque and help prevent formation of permanent stains. The right tool for this purpose is a soft-bristled denture brush. Remember hard-bristled brushes can cause damage to your dentures. Slowly and gently, brush all the surfaces and be cautious not to bend the attachments or damage the plastic. Once you are done with cleaning, rinse them with clean water. You may also use an ultrasonic cleaner and denture cleaning tablets, but daily brushing should the order of the day!
6). Soak dentures overnight to keep them in shape
It is extremely important to ensure that your dentures don’t dry out. Becoming too dry can cause them to lose their shape and become brittle. You can keep your dentures in the proper condition by soaking overnight either in water or a particular denture cleaning solution. If you are not sure of the best way to store your denture during the night, please confirm with your dentist. The most important thing here is to ensure dentures are soaked overnight without failure. In the morning, you need to clean and rinse your dentures thoroughly before wearing them. This should become standard procedure for you, especially if you are soaking dentures in denture cleaning solutions.
7). Denture repair
Even if your dentures are new, they might develop a crack or some other issue. At this point, you may decide that repairing or adjusting dentures by yourself is a good idea. If you are of this school of thought, then stop right there! Doing any denture repair yourself worsens the problem and can even damage the attaching glues and the entire dentures. You immediately see your dentist for any denture repairs!
8). Schedule (and keep!) regular dentist appointments
Your dentist will advise you on how often to visit to have your new dentures checked, examined, and cleaned professionally. During these visits, the dentist ensures that your dentures fit properly to prevent discomfort and slippage so patients can continue with good oral health. In general, you should visit your dentist at least every six months, unless otherwise recommended.
Now you know some of the best tips on how to keep oral health when wearing dentures. If you follow them to the letter, then there is no doubt that you are going to live happily and healthily with your brand-new dentures.