How Do You Maintain Oral Hygiene With Dentures?
Dentures are an excellent solution to replacing missing or severely damaged teeth. They restore dental function, improve your smile, and correct facial sagging, helping you look younger. However, dentures can harbor oral bacteria and plaque, leading to oral health issues. Read on to learn how to maintain oral hygiene after getting dentures in Little Rock.
What Are Dentures?
They are artificial replacements for missing teeth and surrounding tissue. Dentures consist of a set of false teeth attached to a gum base. They can be fabricated from acrylic or nylon with a metal framework. These restorations are custom-made at a dental office near you. It ensures they fit properly in the mouth.
There are various types of dentures, such as partial, full, and fixed. Partial dentures replace a few missing teeth. Complete dentures replace all the teeth in the mouth. Both dentures are removable. Fixed dentures are non-removable since they are secured in the jaw with implants.
Partial dentures have metal clasps that secure them to the nearby teeth. On the other hand, complete dentures are held in place through suction. Also, you can use denture adhesive to keep them from slipping as you speak or chew.
Ways to Maintain Oral Hygiene While Using Dentures
Oral hygiene is crucial whether you have partial or full dentures. You must clean your mouth and the dentures daily to prevent dental health issues. For instance, if you do not clean your partial dentures properly, the surrounding teeth can get cavities.
People with full dentures also must clean their mouths daily. Although they have no teeth, their gums are susceptible to periodontal disease. In addition, food particles and plaque can get trapped between the dentures and gums. This may cause infection, stomatitis, or even pneumonia. Proper oral hygiene also protects false teeth from staining.
You can maintain excellent oral hygiene through the ways below.
- Clean your dentures properly
You should clean your dentures properly every day. Use a soft-bristled brush to remove bacteria and food particles from the device. Also, use a non-abrasive denture cleaner suitable for your dentures. Do not use hot water when cleaning them, as the plastic material can be damaged.
Take out removable dentures and rinse them after every meal to remove all food particles. If you have fixed dentures, use water flossing devices to remove food debris. Clean the fixed dentures as normal teeth but focus on the area around your gums.
- Keep removable dentures in a solution overnight
When you remove your dentures at night to sleep, soak them overnight. Use a saturated solution recommended by the experts at the dental office near you. This ensures the dentures do not try out and crack. It also eliminates bacteria hidden in hard-to-reach places.
- Give your gums a break
Dentists recommend removing your dentures for at least six hours every day. Dentures are designed to fit snugly over the gums. As a result, they rub on your gums, causing sores, infections, and jawbone loss. Taking the dentures out for a while allows your gums to rest. That is why you should remove your dentures when sleeping.
- Rinse your mouth regularly
Use warm saline solution or alcohol-free mouthwash to rinse your mouth severally daily. Doing this inhibits the growth of bacteria in the mouth, preventing oral health issues. It also soothes your gums and prevents sores.
- Eat the right foods
Avoid foods that cause you to chew a lot, such as nuts, seeds, apples, or tough meats. Chewing such foods causes the denture to rub your gums forcefully. This may lead to gum sores or infections. Instead, choose foods that nourish your body and help your gums heal quickly or resist diseases. When you have sores, avoid spicy or acidic foods, as they will irritate.
- Attend regular dental visits
Your dentist will help you prevent oral health issues associated with dentures. During dental visits, they will assess the health of your gums and clean them. Also, they will clean every denture surface and around each dental implant. In addition, they will realign or replace your dentures when necessary.
Are you considering getting dentures in Little Rock? Then contact us at Knight Dental Care to get fitted for your first set of dentures. If you already have dentures, you can visit us for a routine adjustment.