Are you looking for dental advice “near me”? You have come to the right place. Our dentures are made using superior techniques and the very best quality of materials, which means they must be looked after. Here are some straightforward tips on how to care for your dentures, ensuring they last as long as they should.
1. Keep them clean
It is always best to brush your dentures at least twice day, by using a brush and appropriate cleaning agent. Do not use toothpaste because it can be abrasive and scratch the denture. If this happens, some of the glaze will come off the teeth making them appear dull. In addition, the stains can latch onto the swathes more easily making your dentures appear old.
You should be able to find appropriate cleaning agents in your local pharmacy or supermarket. We recommend buying Curadent which is a product made by Curaprox. If all else fails, then warm soapy water also works pretty well.
2. Soak them in a cleaning solution
It is important to soak your dentures around once a week in some cleaning solution. The time you leave them to soak will depend on the strength of the cleaning agent. Some are very strong, and they only recommend leaving dentures in for a minute. Others take longer. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions before using these products. If you use them too long or too often, then can bleach the dentures. If you don’t use these agents at all, you will find deposits of calculus forming, which can only really be removed by professional cleaning by your hygienist or dentist.
3. Handle them with care
Many patients come to see us because they have broken their dentures by accidentally dropping them. It is important to handle them with care, as your teeth are so essential! A good tip is to fill the bowl or sink with water before you brush your dentures, as if you drop them the impact will be cushioned by the water.
4. Don’t lose them!
The most common ways people lose dentures is either at restaurants or in hospitals. In the hospital, staff are not always careful when it comes to handling people’s property, as their priorities are to treat immediate problems. We get a lot of people saying the hospital staff have lost their dentures, so please be ultra-careful if you have an operation planned.
In addition, at restaurants people sometimes take their dentures out after food, if for example food has got stuck underneath. They may wrap them up in a tissue and then they get accidentally thrown away.
5. See your dentist regularly
Your dentist has been expertly trained for many years and will be able to spot potential problems before they arise, so it is important to maintain regular checkups. It is often a lot easier to repair things when spotted early, rather than waiting for a catastrophic failure.
