Dentures need to be cleaned daily to prevent mouth odor, irritation of the gum tissue, mouth sores and infections and to maintain a cosmetic appearance. The goal is to remove soft plaque, food build-up, tartar [calculus] and stain.
The most effective method to preserve your dentures is daily brushing combined with soaking the denture in a denture cleanser. To keep your dentures clean, rinse away loose food particles with running sink, lukewarm water after each meal. Using a soft nylon brush with mildly abrasive denture toothpaste or cleaners, scrub all surfaces gently.
You may soak your dentures in a denture cleaner solution for 30 minutes each day to prevent odors caused by absorption of fluid and/or bacteria and remove deeper stains from the acrylic. Rinse off with water.
Precautions
- Dentures may break if dropped on a hard surface; bush over a water filled sink or a towel.
- Refrain from soaking your denture in boiling or hot water. These may cause the denture to warp and become ill-fitting.
- Avoid hard bristle brushes, scouring powders or abrasive cleaners that might scratch the denture. Scratches make the denture more susceptible to sticky plaque, debris and stain.
- If hard deposits [tartar] attached to your denture, refrain from using sharp metal instruments to remove the tartar. This is the time to take them to a dental practitioner for a professional cleaning.
- Do not let your dentures dry out. Keep them moist when outside the mouth, so they will maintain the proper fit.
- As part of the maintenance process, it is recommended that dentures be left out of your mouth while you sleep to give your gums a chance “to breath” without the irritation of rubbing dentures. However, there is now a proven procedure that will allow you to sleep with your teeth.
Learn more about sleeping with your dentures in your mouth.
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