Denture Care: 4 Tips for Properly Cleaning Your Dentures

When you have dentures, you must remember this: proper denture care starts with treating your dentures just like natural teeth. You should keep your dentures clean and shiny to help maintain your new smile. Keeping your dentures and mouth clean will help to extend the life of your new smile! Here are four tips on how you should be properly cleaning your dentures.

Proper denture care and treatment

Dentures are at a higher risk of breaking if they are left to dry out. One of the biggest tips you can get as a new denture wearer is to keep them moist and clean. Soaking your dentures for at least six to eight hours every day can do a wonderful job of keeping them moist and clean. Soaking your dentures in water and in an approved denture cleaning solution not only will clean them but also ensure they stay pliable and do not dry out. When dentures become dry, this puts them at a greater risk of breaking or cracking.

One of the first steps you should take when cleaning your dentures is to avoid dropping them. The best way to help with this is to place a soft folded towel into the bottom of the sink. Having this cushion in the sink will help to give you some extra protection for your dentures when brushing them.

Brush your dentures daily

Brushing your dentures at least one to two times a day is what dentists recommend keeping you smiling. Brush your dentures with a soft bristle, denture-approved brush. Using a hard bristle brush can scratch and damage your dentures. Do not use regular toothpaste to brush your dentures. You can still use it to brush the roof of your mouth, gums, and tongue, but regular toothpaste can be abrasive and do damage to your dentures as well.

Rinse your dentures out after eating

Most people forget that they should rinse their dentures after every meal. This will help to remove food debris that is left in the mouth, as well as bacteria and plaque that may stick to your teeth. When rinsing your dentures, make sure to pay close attention to the grooves in the dentures that hold them in your mouth. You will want to make sure you rinse these areas to make sure there is no food stuck in the small spaces.

Soak your dentures nightly

Soak your dentures in a denture cleaning solution and water every night at bedtime. This helps to remove any debris or bacteria that you may have missed in providing denture care. It also helps to keep your dentures moist, which will help to extend their life and prevent them from drying out. As discussed above, when dentures become dry, they can be at a greater risk of breaking or cracking. Simply by soaking your dentures, you can help to prevent this from happening and ensure your dentures last, and you keep on smiling.