Like natural teeth, dentures require regular cleaning and maintenance. Treating dentures badly can lead to them getting stained or bent out of shape. Follow these tips to keep your dentures in tip-top condition for years to come.
1. Clean Dentures Daily
Dental plaque can build up on dentures just like it does on natural teeth. This unhygienic bacterial film can raise your risk of gum disease, so it is important to clean it away. After you eat, rinse your dentures with water to remove traces of food that bacteria love to feast on. When you go to bed, you can give the dentures a deeper clean by placing them in a denture soaking solution.
2. Avoid Staining Foods and Drinks
The same foods that stain natural teeth can also gradually dull the whiteness of dentures. To keep your dentures as white as possible over the long term, try to cut back on black coffee, red wine, black licorice, and black tea. Adding milk to tea or coffee reduces the staining potential of your daily caffeine fix. Rinsing dentures with water after consuming staining foods and drinks can also help to reduce the harmful effect on the whiteness of your smile.
3. Don't Let Dentures Dry Out
Allowing dentures to get dry can cause the base materials to become hard and brittle. When this happens, they can crack or warp, causing your dentures to no longer fit comfortably. Keep your dentures moist while you wear them by drinking plenty of water during the day, especially if the weather is very hot and dry. When you take the dentures out, place them in a glass of water or denture soaking solution.
4. Avoid Foods That Are Too Hard or Chewy
Dentures allow you to enjoy most foods, but certain snacks pose a risk to false teeth. Sticky toffees can stick top and bottom dentures together and yank them away from the gums. Very hard foods, such as nuts, can also damage dentures if you crunch down too hard on them. Consider switching to nut butters and sweets you can suck instead of chew to protect your dentures.
5. Visit the Denture Clinic
Dentists can adjust dentures to maintain a good fit as the shape of your mouth changes over the years. If your dentures do not seem to fit as well as they used to, go to a denture clinic for adjustments and advice.
