Denture Care: 5 Steps to Clean Your Dentures the Right Way
Key takeaways:
Dentures are artificial teeth, but they still need proper care and cleaning. Just like with natural teeth, it’s important to keep denture free of food particles and plaque.
Dentures are made of a hard acrylic material that can break if not handled with care. Proper care of your denture helps to protect your investment and lengthens its life.
Keeping your denture in too long can negatively affect your oral health. It’s important to take your denture out and clean it each day to prevent an overgrowth of bacteria and yeast.
If you’ve lost teeth as an adult, you’re not alone. Tooth loss affects roughly 120 million people in the U.S. Whether you’re missing a single tooth or many teeth, wearing dentures can help to keep you eating and smiling comfortably. But it’s important to know that they need proper care and maintenance.
Cleaning and caring for dentures is just as important as it’s for natural teeth. This helps to prevent oral diseases and lengthens the life of your dentures. Let’s take a closer look at the proper way to clean and care for your dentures to prevent any damage to them.
How should you clean your denture?
You should brush and soak your dentures every day. That’s because dentures can build up the same biofilm bacteria that natural teeth can. These five steps can help you keep your dentures clean:
Take your denture out daily. Remove your denture every night to minimize infection.
Clean your mouth and gums. After removing your denture, brush your gums, tongue, and the roof of your mouth. This promotes oral health and good dental hygiene.
Remove visible debris. Rinse away any loose food particles to lessen bacteria growth.
Brush your denture. To clean your dentures, use a soft toothbrush and a denture cleanser, mild hand soap, or non-whitening toothpaste.
Soak your denture overnight. You can use water and a denture cleansing solution to soak your denture. This helps to keep it clean, flexible, and less likely to break.
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When you’re ready to put your denture back in, make sure you’ve cleaned the surfaces in your mouth first. You’ll want to brush those surfaces of your mouth again before putting in your dentures in the morning.
How long should you wear your denture each day?
Dentures are usually just worn during the day to act as natural teeth. They help with eating and speaking, and they complete your smile. And you should typically remove your dentures before going to sleep.
There are cases where your dental provider may ask you to wear your dentures overnight. This may be the case when getting your dentures inserted the same day you have teeth removed (an immediate denture). You may need to keep your dentures in for 24 hours before taking them out to lessen any swelling from the tooth extraction.
What happens if you sleep with your denture in?
Sleeping with your dentures in place may cause denture stomatitis, a form of yeast overgrowth. Denture stomatitis can cause sore, red, and inflamed gums. Sometimes the tissues can become so puffy and inflamed that the denture no longer fits. Removing your dentures at night gives the tissues time to rest.
What should you do with your denture at night?
Removing your denture at night gives your gum tissues time to rest. After brushing your denture, place it in water or a denture cleansing solution overnight. Soaking your denture overnight has many benefits, like:
Helps to remove plaque and stains
Disinfects your denture
Prevents your denture from drying out
Helps to keep the proper shape of your denture
Prevents your denture from having an odor
How do you safely handle your dentures?
Most dentures are made of a hard, acrylic resin. This material is very strong, but it can break. That’s why it’s important to avoid dropping your denture.
Here are some tips to keep your denture safe from damage:
Fill the sink with a towel or water before brushing your denture to provide a cushion if it falls.
Keep your denture in a case when you’re not wearing it.
Soak your denture overnight to prevent it from drying out.
The bottom line
To take care of your denture and your oral health, make sure to clean and properly store your denture. The first step in caring for your denture is to remove it daily. This lets your gum tissues rest and prevents the buildup of bacteria and yeast. Brushing and soaking your denture helps to clean it thoroughly.
Proper care and cleaning of your denture will lengthen its life. Talk with your dental provider if you have questions on how to clean and care for your denture.
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References
American College of Prosthodontists. (n.d.). Facts & figures.
American Dental Association. (2023). Denture care and maintenance.
Caputi, S., et al. (2013). Immediate denture fabrication: A clinical report. Annali di stomatologia.
Oral Health Foundation. (n.d.). Denture stomatitis.
Zijnge, V., et al. (2010). Oral biofilm architecture on natural teeth. PLoS One.
