Note: Think of dentures like a tent/caravan and your edentulous space (the space where the tooth is missing) as your own plot of land. We generally consider dentures nowadays as more of a “transitional/temporary” method of replacing teeth. For more information about bridges and implants click here (bridges) and here (implants).
Congratulations on having your denture made! Whether it is to replace a tooth or your whole upper or lower teeth here are some tips and tricks to maintain and increase the lifespan of your denture!
Do
- Wear your denture regularly as much as possible (the more you wear, the more force you put on your edentulous area, making sure that it is stimulated and
- Eat with your denture!
- After eating with your dentures (e.g. if you’re out for a meal), rinse your denture under a tap to get rid of food to keep your gums clean.
- ALWAYS clean your denture with cold water – this is especially important if your denture is made from acrylic.
- Use a special denture cleaner and brush to clean your dentures (denture brushes and denture cleaning pastes are generally softer and less abrasive compared to the normal toothpaste and toothbrushes)
- When cleaning your denture, fill the basin/sink in half with water. This prevents your denture from shattering in half in case you drop it in the empty sink. The water acts like a natural cushion.
- Use a denture tablet to put in cold water to store your denture after cleaning!
- Take your denture off every night to let your gums breathe! This is important to prevent your gums from being inflamed and being flabby.
- Come back every year for denture maintenance (cleaning, checking and as well as rebasing/relining), as without a implant or a tooth to stimulate directly to your bone, your body will resorb it. This will make your denture not fit properly as time goes on.
- If you decide to use your denture for the long term (e.g. more than a year) we strongly recommend you to have a second set of denture as a back up (it’s like having a second pair of eye glasses) this is so that if your denture is sent for maintenance, you’ll still have a set of teeth to use.
Don’t
- Wash/rinse the denture under warm or hot water as it can distort the acrylic/metal
- Wear your denture 24/7, your gums needs time to breath like your feet. Imagine wearing a shoe 24/7!
- Wash or rinse your denture with anything which contains bleach: it can damage the acrylic and cause it to crack easily
- Neglect your denture care. This is all too common! With proper maintenance schedule for your denture, if you decide to keep it for the longer term it can last as long as 10 years.
If you have any questions about how to maintain your denture, please do not hesitate to contact our office!
