6 Rules Your Denturist Wants You to Follow
Losing your teeth can result in harmful effects on your oral health as well as your overall health. Fortunately, dentures can restore both your appearance and function after tooth loss. In order for dentures to function properly and serve you for years to come, proper care and routine maintenance are necessary. This includes having a good denturist to adjust your dentures when they do not fit comfortably. Denture care also involves cleaning and storing the dentures properly.
Denturists recommend the following steps to maintain your dentures.
1. Keeping Dentures Clean
Dentures will accumulate plaque, tartar, stains, and bacteria, just like natural teeth. To safeguard your oral health and keep your dentures looking their best, clean them daily. Use a soft-bristle denture brush with liquid soap, a mild dish detergent, or a paste made specifically for cleaning dentures to remove debris and food particles.
2. Handling Dentures with Care
Dentures can break easily. Use care when removing or inserting them into your mouth. Hold your dentures over a folded towel while cleaning them to prevent dropping. Never use toothpaste intended for use on natural teeth, harsh cleansers, or stiff brushes to clean dentures. These can cause permanent damage to the surface, resulting in premature wear. When not wearing them, keep your dentures safely stored out of reach of kids and pets.
3. Giving Your Dentures and Your Mouth a Break
Remove your dentures when you sleep at night. This gives your mouth time to recover from the stress and the friction of wearing them all day. If you cannot remove them at night, take them out for over six hours at some point during the day. This allows your mouth to rest and your soft tissue to breathe. Soak your dentures in clean water or in a denture cleansing solution to prevent the dentures from drying out.
4. Practicing Proper Oral Care
Wash your mouth with water when you take out your dentures. Then use a soft-bristle toothbrush or a damp washcloth to gently massage your gums and tongue. Not maintaining proper oral hygiene and failing to take care of your gums can result in sores and mouth infections, making it difficult to wear your dentures.
5. Report Changes in Fit to your Denturist
Ill-fitting dentures may indicate the onset of gum recession. Dentures that do not fit properly can be quite uncomfortable and can cause sores. Contact your denturist when your dentures do not seem to fit properly. If you have new dentures and they make a clicking sound as you speak, you may need your denturist to adjust them.
6. Visit Your Denturist Regularly
For proper denture maintenance, schedule annual checkups with your denturist. Regular dental visits ensure early detection and treatment of any potential sores and infections. With annual denturist appointments and proper oral care at home, your dentures can function properly and serve you well for a number of years.
People with new dentures may initially face some discomfort while chewing and talking. Try not to include hard-to-chew foods such as crispy fruits, stringy meats, candy, popcorn, nuts, seeds, crackers, etc. in your diet for the first few weeks after receiving new dentures. Hard foods put stress on your dentures and gums and amplify the risk of swelling and irritation.
Looking for an experienced denturist?
To get the best denture care at reasonable rates, visit Keep Smiling Denture Clinic today. Schedule your free consultation. We are Serving in Surrey, Langley, Algerdrove, White Rock, Burnaby, Richmond, Vancouver Lower Mainland.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How Do I Know If I Need Dentures?
Looking after your oral health can help prevent tooth loss, delaying the need for dentures. However, as time passes, you may start to show signs that it’s time to consider replacement teeth including:
- Shifting or loose teeth, indicating bone loss
- Gum inflammation with signs of gum redness, tenderness, bleeding and/or swelling
- Missing teeth, leading to more pressure on remaining teeth
- Difficulty when eating hard/chewy foods, causing mouth pain and indigestion
2. I Need Dentures. Where Do I Start?
Millions of Canadians wear dentures to help them eat, speak and smile with confidence every day. If you are a first-time denture wearer, knowing what to expect throughout the process can help ease any potential worries.
Visit a Denturist
The best place to start when considering replacement teeth is visiting a qualified denturist.
They will be able to advise if this is the right treatment solution for you & which denture type works best for your specific needs.
Denture Fitting
When getting your dentures fitted, the following steps can be expected:
- Tooth removal
- Dental impressions are taken
- Bite moulds are doe to ensure a comfortable bite
- Wax moulds are prepared to give you a better idea of how your dentures will work
- Your final denture is fitted
Adapting to Your Dentures
Your new dentures may feel strange at first but eventually, your mouth, tongue and facial muscles will adapt. Everyday tasks such as eating & speaking will take a little practice and your denturist can help advise you on products (eg adhesives) to make you more comfortable.
3. Can I Sleep In My Dentures?
It is recommended that you remove them at night to allow your bones and gum to relax from the pressure of your dentures during the day.
Sleeping in your dentures could come with a high cost to your oral health and lead to issues such as:
- Bone loss
- Denture stomatitis
- Increased sore spots & gum infections
4. How Do I Know When It’s Time To Reline My Dentures?
Even the highest quality dentures will require eventual adjustment. In addition to daily wear-and-tear, your mouth and jaw changes over time, making your replacement teeth less comfortable.
A denture reline can adjust your existing dentures to fit the changes in your mouth and often save you the cost of buying a new denture set.
Some of the signs that you may need a denture reline include:
- Loose/poorly fitting dentures
- Problems eating & speaking with your dentures
- Persistent mouth sores
** Denturists often recommend a reline be done every 1-2 years to ensure you replacement teeth are always comfortable **
5. What Are The Costs Of Dentures?
Dentures are not a one-size-fits-all solution and, as such, your denture costs will vary depending on several factors including:
- Material
- The number of teeth you need replaced
- The design & fabrication of your dentures
- How your dentures will be fixed
No matter what type of dentures you opt for, what never changes is our commitment to providing quality, comfortable & natural looking tooth replacement solutions to our Calgary patients.
Want to know more about the cost of our denture solutions? Contact us today.
6. How Do I Care For My Dentures?
Just like your natural teeth, your dentures should be brushed at least twice a day. Make sure whenever you’re cleaning them, it’s never over a hard surface so they won’t break if you drop them. Ask your denturist about buying a soft denture brush & good cleaner.
7. Will I Be Able To Eat Normally With My Dentures?
High-quality dentures are designed to help you perform crucial, everyday activities such as eating & speaking more confidently. However, it’s important to note that eating comfortably with your dentures will take some practice
Follow these tips to help make the transition easier:
- Eat soft foods until you adjust to your new replacement teeth
- Cut your meals into small pieces
- Chew slowly using both sides of your mouth to prevent the dentures from tipping
- Be cautious with hot or hard foods & sharp-edged bones
8. Is It Possible To Perfectly Color-Match My Partial Dentures To My Remaining Natural Teeth?
A qualified and experienced denturist will be able to work with you to create custom-made replacement teeth that will produce an exact match to your remaining teeth & create a look that is natural and beautiful.
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