Millions of people wear dentures, which help them eat, talk and smile with confidence every day. Between visits to the dentist and the time that it takes to adjust, especially if you are wearing dentures for the first time, good knowledge can alleviate any of your concerns.
Commonly, dentures are one of the first alternatives that dentists recommend for the replacement of several missing teeth. However, below you are going to find 5 things that you need to know if you use dentures.
- Maintaining your Dentures Clean is Essential
Your dentures are continuously exposed to saliva and microbes that are inside your mouth, throughout the whole day. For what is more, they are in contact with the food and drinks that you consume during the day. Preserving the hygiene of your dentures with a regular cleaning process is a really essential thing which will ensure that your dentures will be kept in a good condition for a very long period of time. Moreover, with a regular cleaning and maintaining of your dentures you will more likely prevent plaque build-up and tartar deposits which are aesthetically unpleasing for your appearance.
- You Should Remove your Dentures When They are not In Use
One exceptional benefit that dentures have, is that you can remove them when you do not require them anymore during your daily routine. However, you must be careful and remove them as needed. If you do not remove your dentures correctly then you might cause a receding gum line as well as severe breath.
By the time you take off your dentures you must clean them in depth and then put them in a denture-soaking solution. If you do not have a denture-soaking solution you can still simply use a glass of water. After that, you must not forget to clean your gums along with your tongue in order to remove any microbes that are in your mouth.
- Make Sure to Control the Fit of Your Dentures
From time to time, dentures can be a little uncomfortable in your mouth. This might be caused by a change in their contour. When you use dentures, you must not forget to re-contour them because this can lead to numbness in your gums, sores as well as bruises on them. Some other conditions that might be caused from a change in your denture’s contour include: excessive production of saliva, lack of ability to bite and chew your food appropriately and normally, and so on. For this reason, you must keep in mind to visit your dentist whenever you start feeling discomfited with the usage of dentures. Your dentist will help you restore your current dentures and as a result wear them comfortably and without feeling embarrassed.
- Normal Toothbrush and Toothpaste Can Damage Your Dentures
Dentures, just like natural teeth, need brushing and cleaning in order to get rid of any food remains or bacteria. Although, a simple toothpaste can be harmful and abrasive for your dentures. Likewise, a conventional toothbrush can wear down your dentures.
A simple or normal toothbrush can build up bacterial plaque to your dentures from microscopic abrasions. For this reason, in order to clean your dentures efficiently, you must brush them with a normal or electric toothbrush that consists of smooth bristles, especially designed to clean and brush dentures. The safer manner to brush your dentures is to softly clean each side of it and then rinse. When you follow this procedure, you can be certain that you are not going to harm or damage your dentures.
- Patients with Dentures Should Watch Out What They Eat – You Cannot Bite or Chew Hard Foods
A prosthetic tooth is made from dental-grade ceramic material which provides exceptional strength and durability to your denture. Despite that, this does not mean that a denture is immune to every harm or damage. If you start eating, biting or chewing hard foods, such as: nuts, ice cubes, or even try to open hard items with your prosthetic teeth then you will definitely damage them. When we say damaging of prosthetic teeth we mean chipping, cracks or a prosthetic tooth might fall out eventually. As a consequence, it would be better for you to avoid those unhealthy and harmful oral habits.
If you have any additional concerns about your dentures, we are here to address them with professionalism and comprehensive dental care. You can contact our staff now and schedule a consultation. Our dentists will be more than happy to guide you efficiently.