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Careful with those choppers
Oral health and hygiene are just as important to denture wearers as to those with their original equipment. Maybe more so, since dentures present a mouthful of new opportunities for nasty bacteria, tissue injury, and disease. Improper care can result in all sorts of negative effects: bad breath, bleeding gums, degradation of the residual ridge, soreness, and swelling. It's bound to be a little more inconvenient dealing with both your mouth and your dentures, but the rewards are worth it. You'll have a fresh, clean mouth filled with pearly whites that will be the envy of all your friends.
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Removable Teeth
- Like teeth, dentures can build up plaque, food, tartar, and get stained. That's what causes bad breath, irritation, infection, and dirty dentures.
- Some basic denture hygiene hints:
- Rinse dentures under water after each meal.
- Use a commercial solvent or detergent with chemical action to remove or loosen stains and deposits; rinse well with water afterward. You can do this once a day or several times a week.
- Use a denture brush or regular soft toothbrush to clean the denture every day -- make sure to clean all the hidden and hard-to-reach areas.
- Don't grip the denture too firmly when you brush. It can bend or break.
- Clean a denture over a sink half filled with water and lined with a towel so it won't break if you drop it.
- Do not soak or rinse a denture in hot water; it can distort the shape and fit.
- Dentures are fragile. Don't use scouring powders, abrasives, bleach, or hard-bristled brushes, and never scrape the denture with sharp instruments. They cause scratches and damage, which creates further opportunity for debris, plaque, and staining.
- Remove your dentures overnight or six to eight hours per day. It's important to give your mouth a break from the appliance in order to rejuvenate, heal, freely salivate, and regenerate soft tissue.
- Store dentures in a water or denture solution to maintain moisture and protect the shape and fit.
Your Mouth Counts, Too
- Use a separate toothbrush to clean your teeth and gums.
- Your gums and remaining teeth should be cleaned daily with a soft toothbrush. This removes plaque and debris, massages, and stimulates circulation.
- Massage your gums with your thumb and first finger placed over the ridge, pressing and releasing along the ridge.
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Oxidizing cleansers
Oxidizing cleansers degrade buildup on dentures and kill microbes. They are also helpful in removing food stains.
Abrasives
Abrasives help you scrub your dentures clean. They are found in toothpastes and help remove tartar buildup.
Demulcents
Demulcents are very similar to humectants (some humectants are demulcents and vice versa). They coat and moisten your mouth.
Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are used in oral hygiene products because natural sugars promote tooth decay. These chemicals are used to make the taste of oral care products more appealing without promoting tooth decay.
| Oxidizing Cleansers | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Phosphoric acid | ? | In dilute concentrations, it effectively removes plaque, tartar, and stains from dentures. Oversoaking corrodes denture components. It is harmful to eyes, skin, and clothing. | | Potassium monopersulfate | ? | A nontoxic and noncarcinogenic powder, it effectively removes tartar and permanent stains from dentures. | | Sodium perborate | ? | An effective oxidizing and cleansing agent. | | Abrasives | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Calcium phosphate dihydrate | ? | Used as an effective abrasive cleanser in denture cleaners, accessories, and toothpastes. | | Calcium carbonate | ? | Acts as an effective abrasive cleanser. Also used in toothpaste. | | Aluminum silicate | ? | An effective abrasive cleanser that is also used in toothpaste. | | Preservatives | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Methylparaben | ? | Widely used with good antimicrobial properties. It is capable of causing allergic reactions. | | Propylparaben | ? | An effective preservative against bacteria and fungi, it can be used in all types of solutions. It is not as toxic as benzoic acid. | | Demulcents | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Glycerin | ? | A humectant with a sweet flavor used in a number of products. | | Polyethylene glycol (PEG) | ? | Absorbs moisture and has humectant and softener properties. | | Sweeteners | Ingredient | Description |
|---|
| Saccharin | | An artificial sweetener 300 times sweeter than normal sugar, it has been linked to cancer in rats. |
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Appropriate Uses
Liquid denture cleaner
Removes plaque, tartar, bacteria, food particles, and stains on dentures. Also prevents bad breath and denture odor.
Paste denture cleaner
Removes plaque and bacteria buildup, denture stains, and food particles. Also prevents bad breath, denture odor, and tartar formation.
Effervescent tablet denture cleaner
Removes light denture stains and fights bacteria.
Common Misconceptions
Effervescent tablet denture cleaner
Cannot claim to remove difficult plaque or tartar stains.
Love Them Like They're Your Own
- After meals, it's a good idea to remove food debris by rinsing dentures under water.
- You should brush your dentures before bed and preferably after meals.
- Clean using only water, mildly abrasive toothpaste, or denture paste.
- Using a denture brush, thoroughly clean all areas of the denture.
- Using too much pressure when brushing your dentures could cause them to break.
- If you have natural teeth, use a separate toothbrush to clean them.
- To whiten your dentures and remove debris, soak them in a solvent or a special chemical detergent once per day.
- Do not soak or rinse dentures in hot water.
- If your denture needs extra cleaning, ask your dentist about ultrasonic cleaning.
Like Mouthwash, Minus the Mouth
- Remove denture from mouth.
- Pour liquid onto dentures and wait 15 seconds.
- Scrub with denture brush while rinsing.
It's Easy to Brush Those Back Teeth
- Remove denture from mouth.
- Wet denture with warm water.
- Apply paste to dentures and scrub thoroughly with brush.
- Rinse well.
Fizzy Cleaning
- Remove denture from mouth.
- Add one tablet to an amount of warm water that will cover the denture.
- Place denture into solution.
- Remove denture from solution after ten to 12 minutes and rinse thoroughly.
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They're Your Teeth: Take Good Care of Them
- Dirty dentures may result in denture stomatitis: inflammation of the gum tissue due to an infection. Keep them clean.
- Use cushions sparingly. Prolonged use of denture cushions may cause bone loss, irritation, sores, and tumors.
Treat Dentures and Cleaners Carefully
- Avoid contact with eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Use cleaners only on dentures that have been removed from your mouth.
- Be sure to rinse dentures after cleaning to remove any chemical residues.
- Using bleach on dentures is harmful to the dentures and your gums.
- Be careful not to exert too much pressure while brushing your dentures or you can cause them to break.
- Using hard-bristled toothbrushes to clean your dentures will scratch them.
- Cleaning dentures in hot water may cause them to bend out of shape.
- Using whitening toothpaste meant for natural teeth may cause damage to dentures.
- Cleaners containing alkaline hypochlorites or hypochloric acid should be used no more than once a week to prevent corrosion of metal denture parts.
- Consult a dentist if your dentures do not fit properly.
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Websites, Organizations & Manufacturers
Sources & Further Reading
Books
- 1. Knodel, LC.Nonprescription Products: Formulations & Features '98-99. Americam Pharmaceutical Association. Washington DC 1998.
Find more books on health and wellness at  barnesandnoble.com.
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