Caring for your dentures properly can help improve their longevity and keep your mouth in good working order. To make sure you’re taking the best care of your dentures, take a look at these helpful tips for cleaning, handling and storing them.
Cleaning Your Dentures
- Rinse after each meal. If possible, brush and rinse your dentures with a denture cleaner or mild liquid hand soap to help remove plaque and food particles.
- Avoid certain cleaning products. Do not use whitening toothpaste, bleach products or hot water to clean your dentures.
- Remove all denture adhesive from your gums. After removing your dentures, brush your natural teeth and gently clean your gums.
Handling Your Dentures
- Be careful with your denture clasps. Dentures can handle a lot of activity, but they still need to be handled gently. This includes the clasps, so be gentle when handling and cleaning them.
- Avoid dropping on hard surfaces. This can be achieved by filling your sink with water or covering the counter with a towel, then handling your dentures over these areas.
- Don’t try to fix them yourself. Loose dentures can cause sores, irritation and infection. If your dentures begin to fit improperly, avoid the temptation to use a do-it-yourself repair kit, which could only cause more damage. Instead, visit your dentist as soon as possible.
Storing Your Dentures - Use lukewarm water or denture solution. Remove your dentures each night, then rinse and store them in room temperature water (not hot water) or a mild denture soaking solution.
- Keep out of reach. Kids and pets may think your dentures are a toy, so make sure they’re inaccessible to them.
- Don’t store in a paper towel. If you wrap your dentures in a napkin or paper towel, you run the risk of having them thrown away if they’re mistaken for trash.
If you are interested in learning more about proper denture care, we welcome the opportunity to meet with you. To schedule an appointment, please contact Scott T. LeSueur, DDS & Charles A Dodaro, DDS online or by calling our Mesa office at (480) 834-6991 today. We serve Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, and all surrounding Arizona communities.