Dentures are a valuable investment in your oral health and overall well-being, and they’ve assisted countless generations of patients with rebuilding their smiles. Whether you’ve recently acquired dentures or you’ve been wearing them for a while, proper care is essential for ensuring their longevity and maintaining a beautiful, complete smile. Here are some must-know tips that every denture wearer should keep in mind, in order to get impressive mileage out of their restoration!
Tip #1. Handle Your Dentures with Care
Just like natural teeth, dentures are susceptible to physical damage; they can become chipped, cracked, or otherwise compromised if you aren’t handling them with delicate care. Any time you’re holding your dentures, no matter the reason, you should hold them over a towel or basin of water. That way, if they unfortunately fall or slip from your hands, they’re less likely to suffer catastrophic damage.
Tip #2. Clean Them Correctly
Although dentures replace your teeth, they don’t replace the need for regular oral hygiene; denture patients must care for their new smile daily in order to prevent oral health issues from popping up. It would be best if you rinsed your dentures after every meal to remove lingering food particles, and using a soft-bristled brush, you can brush your dentures with mild soap or denture cleaner (avoid harsh or abrasive chemicals). You’ll be glad you took the time to keep your dentures clean; not only will this help their lifespan, but it simply makes them more pleasant to wear! Most denture patients also remove their restoration at nighttime to soak it while giving their mouth a rest.
Tip #3. Continue Visiting Your Dentist
You might think that since you’ve replaced your teeth with dentures, you no longer need to visit the dentist—but nothing could be further from the truth! Your dentist is a lifelong ally in the ongoing fight against oral health issues, and regular dental visits are key to preserving the integrity of dentures. These appointments allow your provider to inspect your mouth and dentures for signs of issue, and if necessary, make adjustments to ensure that things keep working well and without discomfort.
Tip #4. Mind Your Diet
While dentures are designed to withstand regular biting and chewing, it’s still wise to avoid hard or sticky foods that might potentially disturb, dislodge, or damage them. Particularly tough cuts of meat, corn on the cob, certain nuts, seeds, types of bread, and other similar items might prove tough or even impossible to eat with dentures, meaning you should show restraint! That said, in addition to making sensible choices, you can also cut your food into smaller, manageable pieces to reduce the stress on your dentures.
About the Practice
The talented team at Darby Creek Dental has proudly served patients and families in the Marysville, OH community for several years, and they look forward to helping you and your loved ones achieve radiant, healthy smiles! The practice is excited to offer a wide range of restorative services, including both full and partial dentures. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to arrange a visit, please feel free to contact the practice online or by phone for assistance. Telephone: (937) 644-8822.