It’s true, plaque build-up on your denture can lead to gum irritation. Just as plaque collects on natural teeth, it builds up on dentures too. It’s different with dentures however as plaque hardens into calculus, harbours bacteria and irritates the gums.
Maintaining good oral health is important, as doing it the wrong way can lead to expensive damage. Here are a few simple steps you can take to ensure you’re doing it correctly.
Cleaning dentures
Always use denture paste and a specialised denture brush with soft bristles that can reach every part of your denture. Never use a regular toothbrush or toothpaste. They are too abrasive and will dull the teeth and damage the lining, resulting in an ill-fitting denture. Toothpaste leaves microscopic scratches that make your denture prone to staining and harder to clean.
Be sure to rinse your dentures and mouth after every meal. Take care to clean between the denture and your gums. We recommend gently brushing your gums, tongue and roof of your mouth to stimulate circulation to your gum tissues and to remove bacteria.
A useful tip: Always wash your denture over a sink filled with water or lined with a towel to prevent damage or breakage should it fall.
Overnight care
Each night, dentures should be placed in a container and covered with water or polident denture cleaning tablets. Bleach should never be used to clean or soak your dentures. It causes unsightly discolouration and weakens the base.
Denture polishing
Just as with natural teeth, dentures need to be professionally checked too. A visit to your dental prosthetist will make your denture look and feel like new again. It isn’t expensive and is recommended once or twice a year. Specialised buffing tools and waxes will restore the glossy finish to your denture teeth and base. Tough stains can also be removed. Your prosthetist will check for changes to its fit and appearance so it will always look its best.