Helpful Hints

To maintain your oral health, maximize your comfort and meet your aesthetic requirements, here is some timely advice from your denturist on the regular maintenance of complete dentures.

Brushing

The ideal denture brush has soft bristles and can reach every crevice in your dentures. For cleaning, a gel, a non-abrasive paste or a mild soap are all appropriate.

After every meal, gently brush your denture over its entire surface, paying special attention to the spaces between the teeth and to the areas that come in contact with your gums. Brushing too vigorously, using and abrasive paste, or a brush with hard bristles each bring their own problems. The dulling of your artificial teeth, premature wear and tear of your dentures, or thinning of the acrylic lining which affects the fit of your dentures. An acrylic surface that has been scratched by an abrasive substance easily absorbs saliva, which carries food particles that cause stains. The result: denture maintenance is much more difficult.

It is also recommended that you gently brush your tongue, gums and the roof of your mouth with a moistened, soft-bristle brush. This daily one-minute massage stimulates your circulation and tones of gum tissue, while ridding your mouth of bacteria.

TIPS: Always brush your denture over a sink full of water, or over a sink lined with a facecloth or towel. This way, if you happen to drop your denture, the impact will be considerably lessened.

Rinsing

Always rinse your denture thoroughly under warm running water before putting it back in your mouth or before soaking it. Making this a habit will save you from swallowing any cleaning solution, as well as from contaminating your soaking solution. It is also recommended that you rinse your mouth frequently to rid it of proliferating bacteria. This also helps keep your breath fresher longer. What is more, rinsing your mouth with salt water can have an appreciable therapeutic effect.

Soaking

Prolonged exposure of your denture to the air can discolor it and dry out the acrylic, making it more brittle. When you remove your denture for the night, keep it in a covered container, filled with warm water or a special soaking solution.

Never use bleach to clean or soak your denture. It can weaken the structure of the denture and discolor the acrylic. In any case,. bleach will not work as a whitening agent, since the color of artificial teeth is integrated.

The denture you are wearing was made and adjusted to fit your mouth at a particular time in your life. With the passing years, your mouth changes considerably, even as your dentures wear out. This is why we at the New England Denture Center recommend that you have the fit of your denture checked every year, to ensure its continued effectiveness and aesthetic appearance, as well as your greater well-being.