How to Clean Your Dentures
If you have partial or full dentures, it’s most important to remove and then rinse your dentures after meals. If it’s not possible to remove and clean your dentures after every meal, it’s important to at least remove them every night before bed to clean them properly. You can use denture cleaner, liquid hand soap or dish soap to remove food, particles, and plaque from the dentures. This will also remove any leftover adhesive on the dentures. You should soak your dentures in a solution overnight so they’re fresh and clean for you to use in the morning.
Not only should you clean your dentures, but also the inside of your mouth. Whether you have any remaining teeth or not, you still need to care for your oral health. All you need to do is brush your gums and tongue with toothpaste to remove bacteria and to freshen your breath.
It’s important to never use any abrasive cleaning items to clean your dentures such as a toothbrush without soft bristles, toothpaste, harsh cleaners, whitening toothpaste, any solutions with bleach or even hot water. Abrasive cleaning items can cause damage to your dentures which will cause them to fit incorrectly or break. Hot water can warp the dentures which will also cause them to fit incorrectly and feel uncomfortable to wear.
If you have implant dentures that are not removable, brush your dentures with toothpaste and non-abrasive toothpaste every morning and every night just as you would with real teeth.
How to Handle Dentures
Your dentures are much more fragile than you might think. If you happen to drop your dentures in the sink or on the ground, it’s likely they will break. To prevent breaking your dentures, place a towel over your sink so they have a soft cushion to land on if they were to fall.
Storing Dentures
When you’re not wearing your dentures, it’s important to store them correctly so they don’t dry out and become warped. Store them in room temperature water, preferably in a denture solution when you’re not wearing them. Don’t wrap them up in a towel or paper towel otherwise, they might accidentally get thrown out. It’s important to also keep them in a closed container away from children or pets. Otherwise, they might become a child’s next favorite toy or a dog’s new chew toy.
With these denture care tips, you can expect for your dentures to last you a very long time. If you have any questions or are in need of a new pair of dentures, our denture dentists in Spokane Valley are happy to help. Please give us a call at (509) 927-2273 today to book an appointment.
